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Recent Advances in 3D-Printed Bioresorbable Vascular Stents: Toward Patient-Specific, Novel-Structured, Functional, and Smart Devices

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Bioresorbable vascular stents (BVSs) offer a transformative therapeutic advantage over permanent metal stents by temporarily supporting the vessel and then fully degrading, thereby restoring natural vasomotion and eliminating long-term complications. However, their clinical translation has been hampered by inherent limitations of conventional manufacturing, including restricted material selection, inflexible design, and limited capability for functional integration. Three-dimensional (3D) printing emerges as a pivotal technology to address these challenges, enabling the fabrication of stents with customized architectures, complex structures, and integrated multifunctionality. This review systematically highlights the latest progress in 3D-printed BVSs, focusing on their evolution toward patient-specific, novel-structured, functional, and smart devices. It assesses advanced printing technologies, presents preclinical outcomes and preliminary clinical evidence of 3D-printed BVSs, discusses current challenges, and also provides some future research directions. By framing the current state of the art, this review aims to accelerate the development of next-generation vascular implants.

Source: ACS Omega

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.6c00937