Bioabsorbable Endovascular Adhesive Tape (BEAT) for Improving Vascular Regeneration

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Vascular Biology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) aim for combined angioplasty and drug delivery, but face challenges with low drug transfer and elastic recoil.
• Existing DCBs struggle with efficient drug elution and maintaining vessel patency post-procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bioabsorbable endovascular adhesive tape (BEAT) platform for enhanced drug delivery via DCBs.
• To address limitations of current DCBs, including poor drug transfer and lumen loss due to elastic recoil.

Main Methods:

• Development of a BEAT platform with Janus coating layers: drug-eluting polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) and a poly(thioctic acid) (PTA) adhesive layer.
• Utilized poly(L-lysine-co-L-leucine)-poly(acrylic acid) (PKL-PAA, KLA) PECs for anti-coagulation and endothelial cell adhesion.
• Incorporated hydrophobic interactions and photo-controllable crosslinking for tunable mechanical properties (0.74-10.9 MPa), swelling resistance, and biodegradability.

Main Results:

• The BEAT platform demonstrated robust adhesion and complete drug transfer after balloon inflation.
• PKL-PAA PECs exhibited excellent anti-coagulation and selective endothelial cell adhesion.
• In a rat abdominal aorta injury model, the BEAT coated balloon showed intact transfer, mechanical compliance, and significant attenuation of neointimal hyperplasia.

Conclusions:

• The BEAT platform offers an effective solution for efficient endoluminal drug delivery and temporary radial support.
• This technology shows significant promise for advancing the development of next-generation DCBs in vascular interventions.