Endovascular Stents and Stent-Grafts: Is Heparin Coating Desirable?

Heparins are glycosaminoglycans that, in addition to their anticoagulant activity, have interactions with growth factors and other glycoproteins. These interactions may stimulate neointimal hyperplasia when heparin is delivered locally on stents and stent-grafts. Modifying the structure of heparin to retain anticoagulant activity while minimizing these stimulatory effects on the vascular endothelium is desirable and may be achieved by understanding the relationships between the structure and function of the various parts of the heparin molecule.