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

使用薄聚合物膜的去湿，本提案将开发具有受控化学和形貌的新的结构化生物相容性表面，这将允许正常（非活化）单层内皮细胞的生长。复杂的分子参数将用于评估内皮细胞维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支架奠定了基础，以最大限度地减少支架上和周围细胞的异常生长，从而减少血管并发症的发生。因此，这项研究可以提高心血管疾病患者植入支架的成功率，并降低医疗成本。

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.