Executive Summary : | Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disorders accounting for the highest mortality rate among individuals globally, especially among those with elevated levels of cholesterol or moderate to high obesity. Even in India, over 5000 individuals are found to be affected (high risk) with such cardiovascular disorder out of per 100000 of population, which makes this matter of high importance for immediate intervention. In such conditions, it is known that, fatty deposits, called as atherosclerotic plaque, is deposited in the inner walls of arteries which restrict the flow of blood through the vessels, thereby depriving the tissues of normal levels of nutrients and oxygen. Current therapies of atherosclerosis are mainly restricted to invasive interventions such as stenting with different anticoagulation medications. However, they are often associated with complications such as internal bleeding, thrombosis, and restenosis. This necessitates extensive research towards simplifying therapeutic regimes to make it easily accessible to the large population, which might be possible through sustainable drug releasing personalized biodegradable grafts. 3D printing technology has emerged as a great boon to personalized medicine. In this project we propose to develop a 3D printed, sustainably drug eluting, personalized, biodegradable coronary stent for treating arterial disease i.e. atherosclerosis. Here, 3D printed stent surface will be coated with a system of dual drug (curcumin and everolimus) loaded biodegradable carbon nanoparticles to perform anti-atherogenic, anti-thrombotic and anti-proliferative treatment for atherosclerosis. The in vitro feasibility and in vivo efficacy of the system will be studied through cell studies, blood contact properties and surgical insertion of the stent into the abdominal aorta of atherosclerosis induced ApoE and Ldlr knockout mice. A successful completion of the project will deliver a highly translatable product, 3D printed, personalized, biodegradable coronary stent (3D-pBCST) for eventual use in clinical trials. |