Cardiovascular system restenosis

Intra-arterial catheters have been used for different objectives, such as the placement of other devices like stents, the delivery of drugs to various targets in the cardiovascular system and the delivery of embolic materials to close arterial-venous fistulas. Drug therapy has also been combined with catheter ablation, pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators in order to treat arrhythmias. On the other hand, implants for the reconstruction or functional replacement of cardiovascular components have been combined with drugs to prevent thrombosis. Finally, drugs to avoid restenosis have been widely employed in different devices such as drug-eluting stents. 

With regard to cardiovascular surgery, although ECM-derived medical implants can be constructed from a variety of materials, there are several desirable properties in common to these materials when used in the vascular system. The final implantable object should have a low risk of restenosis and calcification. The material should be resistant to infection, antithrombogenic, stable, durable, and easy to obtain, handle, and prepare. Ideally, the ECM-based biomaterial should have a compliance comparable to host vessels. ... 

Brieger, D., Topol, E., 1997. Local drug delivery systems and prevention of restenosis. Cardiovascular Research 35, 405-413. 

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