In 2012, more than 3 million people had stents inserted in their coronary arteries.
These tiny mesh tubes prop open blood vessels healing from procedures like a balloon angioplasty, which widens arteries blocked by clots or plaque deposits. After about six months, most damaged arteries are healed and stay open on their own. The stent, however, is there for a lifetime.
Most of the time, that’s not a problem, says Patrick Bowen, a doctoral student studying materials science and engineering at Michigan Technological University. The arterial wall heals in around the old stent with no ill effect. But the longer a stent is in the body, the greater the risk of late-stage side effects. For example, a permanent stent can cause intermittent inflammation and clotting at the implant site. In a small percentage of cases, the tiny metal segments that make up the stent can break and end up poking the arterial wall.
“When the stent stays in place 15, 20 or 25 years, you can see these side effects,” says Bowen. “It’s not uncommon to have a stent put in at age 60, and if you live to be 80, that’s a long time for something to remain inert in your body.”
That’s why researchers are trying to develop a bioabsorbable stent, one that would gradually—and harmlessly—dissolve after the blood vessel is healed.
Many studies have investigated iron- and magnesium-based stents. However, iron is not promising: it rusts in the artery. Magnesium, on the other hand, dissolves too quickly. “We wondered, ‘Isn’t there something else?’” Bowen said. “And we thought, ‘Why not zinc?’”
So they placed tiny zinc wires in the arteries of rats. The results were amazing. “The corrosion rate was exactly where it needed to be,” Bowen said. The wires degraded at a rate just below 0.2 millimeters per year—the “magic” value for bioabsorbable stents—for the first three months. After that, the corrosion accelerated, so the implant would not remain in the artery for too long. On top of that, the rats’ arteries appeared healthy when the wires were removed, with tissue firmly grasping the implant.
“Plus, zinc reduces atherosclerosis,” he added, referring to zinc’s well-known ability to fight the development of plaque in the arteries. “How cool is that? A zinc stent might actually have health benefits.”
There is one drawback. “A stent made of conventional zinc would not be strong enough to hold open a human artery,” he said. “We need to beef it up, double the strength.”
“The good news is that there are commercial zinc alloys that are up to three times stronger,” Bowen said. “We know we can get there. We just don’t want to ruin our corrosion behavior.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Bioabsorbable stents
- Global Bioabsorbable Stents Market is estimated to clock a valuation US$ 253.9 million Valuation by 2033on April 21, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Bioabsorbable Stents Market is likely to jump from US$ 171.8 million in 2023 to US$ 253.9 million by 2033 a steady CAGR of 4%.
- Coronary Stent Market Revenue, Share, Future Trends, Size, Report and Forecast to 2024 to 2032on April 18, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Request To Download Free Sample of This Strategic Report @- https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=bw519 ...
- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcripton April 17, 2024 at 10:30 am
Welcome to Abbott's first-quarter 2024 earnings conference call. [Operator Instructions] This call is being recorded by Abbott. With the exception of any participants' questions asked during the ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Bioabsorbable stents
[google_news title=”” keyword=”bioabsorbable stents” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Bioabsorbable materials
- Lyra Therapeutics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)on April 26, 2024 at 9:52 am
The inducement plan is used exclusively for the grant of equity awards to individuals who were not previously employees of Lyra Therapeutics, or following a bona fide period of non-employment, as an ...
- Anti-Adhesion Products Market Projected to Reach $1.69 billion by 2030 - Exclusive Report by 360iResearchon April 25, 2024 at 8:03 pm
Adhesion Products Market by Product Type (Natural Adhesion Barriers, Synthetic Adhesion Barriers), Product Form (Film Formulation, Gel Formulation, Liquid Formulation), Application, End-User - Global ...
- Global Bioabsorbable Stents Market is estimated to clock a valuation US$ 253.9 million Valuation by 2033on April 21, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Bioabsorbable Stents Market is likely to jump from US$ 171.8 million in 2023 to US$ 253.9 million by 2033 a steady CAGR of 4%.
- Coronary Stent Market Revenue, Share, Future Trends, Size, Report and Forecast to 2024 to 2032on April 18, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Request To Download Free Sample of This Strategic Report @- https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=bw519 ...
- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcripton April 17, 2024 at 10:30 am
Welcome to Abbott's first-quarter 2024 earnings conference call. [Operator Instructions] This call is being recorded by Abbott. With the exception of any participants' questions asked during the ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Bioabsorbable materials
[google_news title=”” keyword=”bioabsorbable materials” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]