Sustained drug release using cobalt oxide nanowires for the preparation of polymer-free drug-eluting stents

Polymer-based drug-eluting stents (DESs) represented attractive application for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases; however, polymer coating has caused serious adverse responses to tissues such as chronic inflammation due to acidic by-products. Therefore, polymer-free DESs have recently emerged as promising candidates for the treatment; however, burst release of drug(s) from the surface limited its applications. In this study, we focused on delivery of therapeutic drug from polymer-free (or -less) DESs through surface modification using cobalt oxide nanowires (Co3O4 NWs) to improve and control the drug release. The results demonstrated that Co3O4 NWs could be simply fabricated on cobalt–chromium substrate by ammonia-evaporation-induced method. The Co3O4 NWs were uniformly arrayed with diameters of 50–100 nm and lengths of 10 µm. It was found that Co3O4 NWs were comparatively stable without any delamination or change of the morphology under in vitro long-term stability using circulating system. Sirolimus was used as a model drug for studying in vitro release behavior under physiological conditions. The sirolimus release behavior from flat cobalt–chromium showed an initial burst (over 90%) after one day. On the other hand, Co3O4 NWs presented a sustained sirolimus release rate for up to seven days. Similarly, the polymer-less specimens on Co3O4 NWs substrates sustained sirolimus release for a longer-period of time when compared to flat Co–Cr substrates. In summary, the current approach of using Co3O4 NWs-based substrates might have a great potential to sustain drug release for drug-eluting implants and medical devices including stents.