Abstract
Amethodtocorrectstentrelatedcomplicationsnon-invasively,isthelocaldeliveryoftherapeuticagents.Differentdrugshavebeendeliveredonstents,afterbeingeitherdispersedorencapsulatedinpolymericmaterials,andplacedonstentstoformdrug-eluting-stents(DE-stents).Investigationofpossibilitytocoverpolymer-coatedmetallicstents,withliposomaldrugs,forpreparationofnovelDE-liposome-coated-stents,hasbeeninitiatedfewyearsago.Inthiscontextourresearchhasbeenfocusedonansweringthefollowingquestions:(i)Canliposomesbeappliedascoatingsonpolymercoveredstents?(ii)Candrugreleasefromliposomecoated-stentsbecontrolled?And:(iii)howishaemo-compatibilityofstentsaffected?Theresultsoftheexperimentscarriedoutdemonstratethatliposomalformulationsofdrugscanbeusedascoatingsystemsofpolymercoveredstentsforachievingsustainedreleaseofdrugsatthesiteofinterest.Bymodifyingliposomecharacteristics,differentamountsofdrugsmaybeplacedonthestentsandtheirreleaseratescanbeadjustedformaximumtherapeuticbenefit.Finally,haemocompatibilityofstentsishighlyimproved(mainlyintermsofcelladhesionandactivationofcoagulationsystem),whenstentsarecoatedwithheparin-encapsulating-DRVliposomes.
PMID:16952883[Pubmed-MEDLINE]