| abstract |
A method for providing a synthetic barrier made of biocompatible polymeric materials in vivo which involves application of a material to a tissue or cellular surface such as the interior surface of a blood vessel, tissue lumen or other hollow space, is disclosed herein. The material may also be applied to tissue contacting surfaces of implantable medical devices. The polymeric materials are characterized by a fluent state which allows application to and, preferably adhesion to, tissue lumen surfaces, which can be increased or altered to a second less fluent state in situ; controlled permeability and degradability; and, in the preferred embodiments, incorporation of bioactive materials for release in vivo, either to the tissue lumen surface or to the interior of the lumen, which alter cell-to-cell interactions. It has also been discovered that tenascin is a mediator of smooth muscle cell migration through interaction with specific integrin components of the cells. |