Magnesium (Mg)
alloys have been intensively investigated as potential absorbable coronary
stent materials as their use avoids risks such as late
inflammation and restenosis generated by permanent metallic implants. Besides that, clinical trials on coronary
stents fabricated from Mg
alloys have made great progress recently. However, the over-rapid corrosion rate,
magnesium corrosion-induced
thrombosis formation and delayed endothelium regeneration continue to be problematic for coronary artery
stent therapy. In this study,
silk fibroin blended with
heparin and GREDVY (Gly-
Arg-Glu-Asp-Val-Tyr)
peptide was immobilized on a HF-pretreated MgZnYNd
alloy surface via a
polydopamine layer to improve its corrosion resistance, blood compatibility and endothelialization. Standard electrochemical measurements along with the long-term immersion results indicated that the functionalized MgZnYNd
alloy had preferable anti-corrosion abilities compared with the bare MgZnYNd
alloy. The modified surface exhibited outstanding hemocompatibility with reduced platelet adhesion,
hemolysis rate and prolonged blood coagulation time. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) co-culture results revealed more attached HUVECs on the functionalized samples than on the MgZnYNd
alloy surfaces. The excellent corrosion retardation, hemocompatibility and re-endothelialization of the multi-functional coating indicate a promising method in the field of biodegradable
magnesium-based implantable cardiovascular
stents.