Direct Adsorption of Anti-CD34 Antibodies on the Nano-Porous Stent Surface to Enhance Endothelialization.

BACKGROUND: In-stent restenosis following the insertion of conventional drug-eluting stent has become an extremely serious problem due to coating techniques, with polymer matrices used to bind biological ingredients to the stent surface. However, several studies have indicated that new pro-healing technique could prevent stent thrombosis that can be caused by conventional drug-eluting stents. METHODS: A novel method of attaching anti-CD34 antibodies directly on the porous surface of a 316L stainless steel bare metal stent was developed in this study, which achieved both high stability of attached anti-CD34 antibodies on the metal stent surface and high antibody activity for stem cell capture. RESULTS: The in vitro and in vivo experimental results indicated that the new stent with directly coupled anti-CD34 antibodies can efficiently enhance stent endothelialization. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that we have developed a unique method of attaching anti-CD34 antibodies directly on the porous surface of a 316L stainless steel bare metal stent, which provides a novel polymer-free approach for developing pro-healing stents.