Optimizing the Biocompatibility of PLLA Stent Materials: Strategy with Biomimetic Coating

Abstract

Hao Du,1 Wentao Li,1 Xueyi Li,2 Zhiyuan Qiu,1 Jie Ding,2 Yi Zhang1 1Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Cultivation and Construction Site of the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Imaging and Interventional Medicine, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jie Ding; Yi Zhang, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) stents have broad application prospects in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases due to their excellent mechanical properties and biodegradability. However, foreign body reactions caused by stent implantation remain a bottleneck that limits the clinical application of PLLA stents. To solve this problem, the biocompatibility of PLLA stents must be urgently improved. Albumin, the most abundant inert protein in the blood, possesses the ability to modify the surface of biomaterials, mitigating foreign body reactions—a phenomenon described as the “stealth effect”. In recent years, a strategy based on albumin camouflage has become a focal point in nanomedicine delivery and tissue engineering research. Therefore, albumin surface modification is anticipated to enhance the surface biological characteristics required for vascular stents. However, the therapeutic applicability of this modification has not been fully explored.Methods: Herein, a bionic albumin (PDA-BSA) coating was constructed on the surface of PLLA by a mussel-inspired surface modification technique using polydopamine (PDA) to enhance the immobilization of bovine serum albumin (BSA).Results: Surface characterization revealed that the PDA-BSA coating was successfully constructed on the surface of PLLA materials, significantly improving their hydrophilicity. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated that this PDA-BSA coating enhanced the anticoagulant properties and pro-endothelialization effects of the PLLA material surface while inhibiting the inflammatory response and neointimal hyperplasia at the implantation site.Conclusion: These findings suggest that the PDA-BSA coating provides a multifunctional biointerface for PLLA stent materials, markedly improving their biocompatibility. Further research into the diverse applications of this coating in vascular implants is warranted. Keywords: vascular stent, Poly-L-lactic acid, albumin, biomimetic coating, stealth effect

Keywords

• vascular stent
• poly-l-lactic acid
• albumin
• biomimetic coating
• stealth effect