Mechanical properties and degradation of drug eluted bioresorbable vascular scaffolds prepared by three-dimensional printing technology

Abstract

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds are expected to replace the traditional metal stent, avoiding the long-term complications of metal stents. However, it is hard for the traditional scaffold manufacturing process to meet the requirements of individualized treatment for vascular lesions, which requires different morphologies. Here, we used a new method of scaffold manufacturing, three-dimensional printing technology, to prepare bioresorbable vascular scaffolds. The fabricated scaffold was loaded with sirolimus mixed with scaffold preparation material for slow drug release. The engineered, drug- loaded, bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) was analyzed and tested in vivo. The scaffolds produced by three-dimensional printing technology exhibited good mechanical properties and in vitro degradation performance. The results also suggested that these scaffolds could maintain effective radial strength after long-term degradation and sustained release of the drug. As a new scaffold preparation method, it may provide a promising idea for developing bioresorbable vascular scaffold technology.

Keywords:

• Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds
• three-dimensional printing technology
• mechanical property
• degradation
• drug release

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Nanjing Normal University, three-dimensional printing equipment and Manufacturing Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, for their excellent technical assistance. This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81771952), Social Development Project of Jiangsu (BE2015603), Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (BK20171115), and Changzhou Science Project (CJ20179003)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).