Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents Research Articles

Biodegradable Metals for Cardiovascular Stents: from Clinical Concerns to Recent Zn-Alloys.

Metallic stents are used to promote revascularization and maintain patency of plaqued or damaged arteries following balloon angioplasty. To mitigate the long-term side effects associated with corrosion-resistant stents (i.e., chronic inflammation and late stage thrombosis), a new generation of so-called "bioabsorbable" stents is currently being developed. The bioabsorbable coronary stents will corrode and be absorbed by the artery after completing their task as vascular scaffolding. Research spanning the last two decades has focused on biodegradable polymeric, iron-based, and magnesium-based stent materials. The inherent mechanical and surface properties of metals make them more attractive stent material candidates than their polymeric counterparts. A third class of metallic bioabsorbable materials that are based on zinc has been introduced in the last few years. This new zinc-based class of materials demonstrates the potential for an absorbable metallic stent with the mechanical and biodegradation characteristics required for optimal stent performance. This review compares bioabsorbable materials and summarizes progress towards bioabsorbable stents. It emphasizes the current understanding of physiological and biological benefits of zinc and its biocompatibility. Finally, the review provides an outlook on challenges in designing zinc-based stents of optimal mechanical properties and biodegradation rate.

Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents - Are These the Next Big Thing in Coronary Angioplasty?

The role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the treatment of coronary artery disease has grown at an astronomical pace. Drug eluting stents (DES) offer advantages over bare metal stents (BMS) such as reduction in early in-stent restenosis rates. However, they have disadvantages like from increased late stent thrombosis when compared with BMS. Furthermore, recent data suggest endothelial dysfunction in the DES stented segments of the arteries. Currently, bioabsorbable stents are under development to avert the complications of DES such as stent thrombosis via degradation of the stent over time. The hypothetical advantage of leaving behind a natural vessel and restoring vasoreactivity may be the almost normal physiology which can be achieved after an intervention with a stent. The ABSORB and the PROGRESS AMS are two of the recent clinical trials that have looked at the outcomes of using bioabsorbable stents. So far, data from these and other studies has yielded mixed results in terms of angiographic and clinical outcomes. Newer stents such as REVA and WHISPER are presently being tested in preclinical and clinical trials. The landscape for bioabsorbable stents is constantly evolving through continued improvisation on existing technology and emergence of new technology. Large scale randomized trials are still needed with adequate long term follow-up for safety and benefits to have mainstream application in coronary artery disease, bioabsorbable stents are a promising innovation in the field of PCI. We review some of the patents and the data that is emerging on bioabsorbable stents in addition to currently ongoing clinical trials.

Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents - Are These the Next Big Thing in Coronary Angioplasty?

Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents - Are These the Next Big Thing in Coronary Angioplasty?

Monitoring In Vivo Absorption of a Drug-Eluting Bioabsorbable Stent With Intravascular Ultrasound-Derived Parameters: A Feasibility Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using quantitative differential echogenicity to monitor the in vivo absorption process of a drug-eluting poly-l-lactic-acid (PLLA) bioabsorbable stent (BVS, Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California). A new bioabsorbable, balloon-expanded coronary stent was recently evaluated in a first-in-man study. Little is known about the absorption process in vivo in diseased human coronary arteries. In the ABSORB (Clinical Evaluation of the BVS everolimus eluting stent system) study, 30 patients underwent treatment with the BVS coronary stent system and were examined with intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) after implantation, at 6 months and at 2-year follow-up. Quantitative ICUS was used to measure dimensional changes, and automated ICUS-based tissue composition software (differential echogenicity) was used to quantify plaque compositional changes over time in the treated regions. The BVS struts appeared as bright hyperechogenic structures and showed a continuous decrease of their echogenicity over time, most likely due to the polymer degradation process. In 12 patients in whom pre-implantation ICUS was available, at 2 years the percentage-hyperechogenic tissue was close to pre-implantation values, indicating that the absorption process was either completed or the remaining material was no longer differentially echogenic from surrounding tissues. Quantitative differential echogenicity is a useful plaque compositional measurement tool. Furthermore, it seems to be valuable for monitoring the absorption process of bioabsorbable coronary stents made of semi-crystalline polymers.

Quantitative multi-modality imaging analysis of a bioabsorbable poly-L-lactic acid stent design in the acute phase: a comparison between 2- and 3D-QCA, QCU and QMSCT-CA

To investigate if three-dimensional (3D) based quantitative techniques are comparable to each other and to explore possible differences with respect to the reference method of 2D-QCA in the acute phase and to study whether non-invasive MSCT could potentially be applied to quantify luminal dimensions of a stented coronary segment with a novel bioabsorable drug-eluting stent made of poly-l-lactic-acid (PLLA). Quantitative imaging data derived from 16 patients enrolled at our institution in a first-in-man trial (ABSORB) receiving a biodegradable stent and who were imaged with standard coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound were compared. Shortly, after stenting the patients also underwent a MSCT procedure. Standard 2D-QCA showed significant smaller stent lengths (p < 0.01). Although, the absolute measured stent diameters and areas by 2D-QCA tend to be smaller, the differences failed to be statistically different when compared to the 3D based quantitative modalities. Measurements made by non-invasive QMSCT-CA of implanted PLLA stents appeared to be comparable to the other 3D modalities without significant differences. Three-dimensional based quantitative analyses showed similar results quantifying luminal dimensions as compared to 2D-QCA during an evaluation of a new bioabsorbable coronary stent design in the acute phase. Furthermore, in biodegradable stents made of PLLA, non-invasive QMSCT-CA can be used to quantify luminal dimensions.

Initial assessment of a novel anti-inflammatory bioabsorbable salicylate-based polymer eluting sirolimus for use in fully bioabsorbable coronary stents

Initial assessment of a novel anti-inflammatory bioabsorbable salicylate-based polymer eluting sirolimus for use in fully bioabsorbable coronary stents

TCT Daily: ABSORB: Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents Successfully and Safely Deployed

<i>TCT Daily:</i> ABSORB: Bioabsorbable Coronary Stents Successfully and Safely Deployed