Lee, Ju-Ro Yang, Seung Won Kwon, Chang-Il Kim, Kyu Seok Park, Se Hwan Jang, Myeong Jin Kim, Ga Hee Sung, Min Je Kim, Gwangil Son, Jun Sik Joung, Yoon Ki 2024-05-30T10:30:13Z 2024-05-30T10:30:13Z 2024-05-30 2024-04 1742-7061 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/149982 Endoscopic biliary stent insertion has been widely used for the treatment of benign biliary stricture (BBS). Thus, the development of stent materials in the perspectives of structure, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility has been also studied. However, conventional metal and plastic stents have several disadvantages, such as repeated procedures to remove or exchange them, dislodgment, restenosis, biocompatibility, and poor mechanical properties. Sustainable effectiveness, attenuation and prevention of fibrosis, and biocompatibility are key factors for the clinical application of stents to BBS treatment. In addition, loading drugs could show synergistic effects with stents' own performance. We developed a dexamethasone-eluting biodegradable stent (DBS) consisting of a sheath/core structure with outstanding mechanical properties and sustained release of dexamethasone, which maintained its functions in a BBS duct over 12 weeks in a swine model. The insertion of our DBS not only expanded BBS areas but also healed secondary ulcers as a result of the attenuation of fibrosis. After 16 weeks from the insertion, BBS areas were totally improved, and the DBS was degraded and thoroughly disappeared without re-intervention for stent removal. Our DBS would be an effective clinical tool for non -vascular diseases. English Elsevier BV Anti-fibrotic and anti-stricture effects of biodegradable biliary stents braided with dexamethasone-impregnated sheath/core structured monofilaments Article 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.037 1 Acta Biomaterialia, v.178, pp.137 - 146 Acta Biomaterialia 178 137 146 N scie scopus 001224422200001 2-s2.0-85188674756 Engineering, Biomedical Materials Science, Biomaterials Engineering Materials Science Article EXPANDABLE METAL STENTS COMMON BILE-DUCT PLASTIC STENTS FLOW PHANTOM MODEL Biodegradable polymer stent Drug-eluting stent Swine biliary stricture Benign biliary stricture