Abstract
Biodegradable stents have tremendous theoretical potential as an alternative to bare metal stents and drug-eluting stents for the treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease. Any bioresorbable or biodegradable scaffold material needs to possess optimal mechanical properties and uniform degradation behavior that avoids local and systemic toxicity. Recently, molybdenum (Mo) has been investigated as a potential novel biodegradable material for this purpose. With its proven moderate degradation rate and excellent mechanical properties, Mo may represent an ideal source material for clinical cardiac and vascular applications. The present study was performed to evaluate the mechanical performance of metallic Mo in vitro and the biodegradation properties in vivo. The results demonstrated favorable mechanical behavior and a uniform degradation profile as desired for a new generation ultra-thin degradable endovascular stent material. Moreover, Mo implants in mouse arteries avoided the typical cellular response that contributes to restenosis. There was minimal neointimal hyperplasia over 6 months, an absence of excessive smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation or inflammation near the implant, and avoidance of significant harm to regenerating endothelial cells (EC). Qualitative inspection of kidney sections showed a potentially pathological remodeling of kidney Bowman's capsule and glomeruli, indicative of impaired filtering function and development of kidney disease, although quantifications of these morphological changes were not statistically significant. Together, the results suggest that the products of Mo corrosion may exert beneficial or inert effects on the activities of inflammatory and arterial cells, while exerting potentially toxic effects in the kidneys that warrant further investigation.