When a foreign object gets stuck inside the human body, scar tissue begins to grow around it, preventing it from harming organs or tissues. This scarring, called fibrosis, can cause problem when the foreign object is a medical device, such as a stent, sensor, or drug delivery mechanism. As scar tissue forms, the device’s function can be impaired. CVRC faculty Daniel Abebeyehu, PhD, and Thomas Barker, PhD, alongside Donald Griffin, PhD, recently published a study in Science Advances that identifies a protein that suppresses scar tissue formation around medical polymers. By designing devices that increase the concentration of this protein in nearby tissues, the team hopes to reduce the rate of device failure. You can read more about their work from the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science news.