ABSTRACT
Their nanofunctionalization, in fact, could offer surgical opportunities that were out of reach at the microsurgical level: Specifically, the production of biodegradable and bioactive-coated stents. On one hand, a biodegradable dual-drug-eluting stent could offer a sequential and sustained release of anti-platelet (i.e., acetylsalicylic acid) and anti-smooth muscle cell drug (i.e., paclitaxelin) to prevent thrombosis or lumen occlusion, the main long-term complication of any endovascular treatment. On the other hand, bioactive coatings restoring an antithrombotic surface could provide alternatives to systemic anticoagulation, or attract magnetized cells to repair the blood vessel [5, 6]. By modifying the stent coatings (i.e., using ion beams to create biomimetic surface textures), it would be possible to promote endothelial cell proliferation, activate resident stem cells from the arterial walls, and induce faster vessel repair [6].
