Next-generation vascular stents
A team of scientists from the United States and China has developed magnesium alloy stents for the treatment of hardening arteries that are biocompatible and degradable.
Atherosclerosis is a pre-cursor to heart disease that occurs when artery walls thicken due to a build-up of cholesterol. It can be treated by surgically inserting a stent, which prevents blood-flow constriction. Most stents require further surgery to remove them. Some biodegradable stents are already being used in clinical trials, but their degradation is non-uniform and could cause structural damage.
The research team produced stents from a magnesium, zinc and zirconium alloy, called JBDM, that biodegraded in a uniform manner and maintained their structure when tested in a rabbit for 16 weeks. The magnesium alloy will eventually dissolve completely in the physiological environment and can be metabolised and absorbed by the body.
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