# Corrosion Fatigue Resistant and Intimal Hyperplasia Suppressive Biometal for Bioabsorbable Stents

> **NIH NIH R01** · MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $369,109

## Abstract

Summary
Heart disease is of great societal interest due to its drastic impact on health in industrialized
nations, especially in developed countries where obesity rates are high and the typical diet is
not conducive to cardiovascular health. While invasive procedures are not desirable, they are
often crucial to ensuring patient survival. The five million coronary stents administered world-
wide each year remain present in the human artery for the lifetime of the patient. This has
resulted in the emergence of several serious side effects. A bioabsorbable metal stent that
harmlessly erodes away over time could minimize the normal chronic risks associated with
permanent stents.
Our laboratory has been working to refine the composition and microstructure of biodegradable
Zn-based binary alloys and test their behavior in the vascular environment over the last four
years in an effort to develop a metal with mechanical properties and biocompatibility required for
endovascular stent applications. Having contributed enormously to the scientific understanding
of Zn-based systems, we are now ready to develop more complex Zn-based alloys with 2-3
alloying elements that meet benchmark values for biodegradable stents, including: 1) have
superior corrosion fatigue resistance that eliminates early stage (6 to 9 months) fracturing of
biodegradable stents (common problem in Mg-based and Zn-based stents prototyped in the last
several years); 2) maintain in vivo corrosion rates close to the 0.02 mm/year value; 3) exhibit
>200 MPa yield strength, and >25-30% elongation to failure; and 4) demonstrate
biocompatibility in terms of short- and long-term inflammatory responses, re-endothelialization,
and suppressed intimal hyperplasia, similar or better than 316L stainless steel (industrial
standard for stent materials).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9948758
- **Project number:** 5R01HL144739-02
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jaroslaw W Drelich
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $369,109
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-15 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9948758

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9948758, Corrosion Fatigue Resistant and Intimal Hyperplasia Suppressive Biometal for Bioabsorbable Stents (5R01HL144739-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9948758. Licensed CC0.

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