title: Extracellular matrix molecules facilitating vascular biointegration.
abstract: All vascular implants, including stents, heart valves and graft materials exhibit suboptimal biocompatibility that significantly reduces their clinical efficacy. A range of biomolecules in the subendothelial space have been shown to play critical roles in local regulation of thrombosis, endothelial growth and smooth muscle cell proliferation, making these attractive candidates for modulation of vascular device biointegration. However, classically used biomaterial coatings, such as fibronectin and laminin, modulate only one of these components; enhancing endothelial cell attachment, but also activating platelets and triggering thrombosis. This review examines a subset of extracellular matrix molecules that have demonstrated multi-faceted vascular compatibility and accordingly are promising candidates to improve the biointegration of vascular biomaterials.
authors: The Heart Research Institute, Eliza Street, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia. wises@hri.org.au.
authors: Steven G
authors: SG
authors: Wise
authors: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA. anna.waterhouse@wyss.harvard.edu.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Waterhouse
authors: The Heart Research Institute, Eliza Street, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia. michaelj@hri.org.au.
authors: Praveesuda
authors: P
authors: Michael
authors: The Heart Research Institute, Eliza Street, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia. mkcng@med.usyd.edu.au.
authors: Martin K C
authors: MK
authors: Ng