New Surfaces for the Control of Endothelial Cell Function: Application in the Design of Biocompatible Stents

利用聚合物薄膜的去湿，本提议将开发具有可控化学和形貌的新的结构化生物兼容表面，这将允许正常(非激活)内皮细胞单层的生长。复杂的分子参数将被用来评估内皮细胞保持其正常的静止表型。该项目为设计改进的、更具生物相容性的结构化支架奠定了基础，以最大限度地减少支架上和支架周围细胞的异常生长，从而减少血管并发症的发生。因此，这项研究可以提高支架植入心血管疾病患者的成功率，降低医疗成本。

Using dewetting of thin polymer films, the present proposal will develop new structured biocompatible surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography, which will allow the growth of a normal (non-activated) monolayer of endothelial cells. Sophisticated molecular parameters will be used to assess that endothelial cells maintain their normal quiescent phenotype. The project sets the ground work for the design of improved, more biocompatible structured stents to minimise the abnormal growth of cells on and around the stent, thereby reducing the occurrence of vascular complications. Thus this research could improve the success rate of stents implanted into patients with cardiovascular disease and reduce health costs.