Atherosclerosis is a common, potentially serious condition caused by a build-up of fatty material in the lining of the artery walls. It can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke or kidney problems, and existing treatments tend to be only short-term fixes.
In response to this public health challenge, EU-funded project THE GRAIL developed a new therapeutic strategy using a soft, compliant and intelligent ‘scaffold’ made of bioactive material to trigger the regeneration of diseased areas of blood vessels. This novel medical device could soon undergo the first clinical trials in humans.