Bioresorbable scaffolds for the treatment of coronary artery disease: current status and future perspective

Abstract

Bioresorbable scaffolds represent a novel approach in the treatment of coronary artery disease which allows for vessel wall support without leaving a permanent foreign body in the coronary artery. This technology has the potential to reduce some of the shortcomings of current standard treatment with metallic drug-eluting stents, such as late in-stent restenosis, impaired vasomotion of the stented segment and hindrance of surgical revascularizations. Currently, several bioresorbable scaffolds are available and undergoing clinical or preclinical evaluation. This review will present the current status of development of bioresorbable scaffolds, describe the degradation/resorption process of each device and the clinical data available to date.

Keywords::

• biodegradable
• bioresorbable scaffold
• coronary artery disease
• drug-eluting stents
• percutaneous coronary interventions

Financial & competing interests disclosure

J.J. Wykrzykowska received consultancy fees from Abbott Vascular. The Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center – University of Amsterdam received a restricted research grant from Abbott Vascular. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Bioresorbable scaffolds represent a new technological evolution in the treatment of coronary artery lesions.

• Bioresorbable scaffolds provide temporary vessel wall support to prevent recoil of the vessel wall and is resorbed over time.

• Several polymer or metallic scaffolds have been evaluated in clinical and preclinical testing. Currently, the ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold is the most extensively evaluated scaffold and is increasingly being used in daily clinical practice. This device has been demonstrated to be safe and efficient in relatively simple coronary artery lesions.

• Long-term data and randomized controlled clinical trials on bioresorbable scaffolds and new-generation drug-eluting stents are needed to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of this new technology.

Notes