# Metal organic framework-based antithrombotic surfaces

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $359,479

## Abstract

ABSTRACT:
Each year billions of health care dollars are spent on medical devices that fail in clinical practice. These
device failures occur over various timescales of the devices due to multiple factors including thrombosis,
inflammation, infection, and tissue overgrowth on the surface of the implanted device as well as
mechanical device failures. Over the last 50 years, much has been learned about these device failures
resulting in attempts to prevent failures using (1) alternative systemic drug therapies, (2) surface
modifications on the device, or (3) a combination of both approaches. Despite efforts to improve the
efficacy of blood-contacting and implantable medical devices, the incompatibility of these materials within
human blood and tissue still causes serious complications in patients. Thus, systemic or regional drug
therapies such as heparin remain necessary. As a result, strategies that can leverage the biological
properties of naturally occurring bioagents such as nitric oxide (NO) have clear implications for a wide
variety of medical devices. These materials offer localized control of platelets at the blood-material interface
where bioactivity is targeted. The research strategy detailed here in focuses on developing materials
that can produce NO from endogenous sources for extended periods of time and will overcome the
fundamental limitations of current NO materials. Using metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as NO catalysts,
device coatings will now be able to (1) produce NO for longer time period than ever achieved to date and (2)
allow systematic modification while maintaining the structural properties that make them suitable for
clinical applications. The principal premise of this project proposal is to utilize the inherent structural
features of MOF materials to develop physiologically-relevant NO catalysts for use in catheter coatings. As a
part of this grant, MOFs will be prepared, blended into catheter coatings and rigorously tested for their long-
term function and mechanical properties, evaluated for safety via toxicity studies and characterized by an
array of in vitro bioassays. Final catheter prototypes will be tested in a rabbit model for their anti-thrombotic
properties at time points beyond the capabilities of current technologies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10155583
- **Project number:** 5R01HL140301-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Hitesh Handa
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $359,479
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10155583

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10155583, Metal organic framework-based antithrombotic surfaces (5R01HL140301-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10155583. Licensed CC0.

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