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Lining medical stents with hairlike fuzz could fend off infections

Sea star–inspired cilia washed away infection-promoting bacterial buildup in a prototype

Black and white image of 3 zoomed in cilia with their tips slightly angled to the right. Above them are swirls of black and white showing the vortices of fluid they generate when exposed to ultrasound. Scientists suggest lining stents with cilia to make them easy to clean.

Lining stents and catheters with hairlike structures called cilia (shown) could make them easy to clean, reducing the need for frequent replacements, according to a new study.

Pedro Amado and Cornel Dillinger

By McKenzie Prillaman

Covering stents with hairlike structures called cilia may help keep the implanted medical tubes clean, preventing infection, researchers report April 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.