antibodies are then attached to the cross linking agent which in turn is attached to the stent fig2 provides an illustration of coupling by c600 the endothelial cell 2 01 is bound via a cell surface antigen 2 02 to an antibody 2 03 which in turn is bound covalently or non covalently to the matrix 2 04 the matrix 2 04 is coupled covalently via c600 2 05 to the stent 2 06 this invention is illustrated in the experimental details section which follows these sections set forth below the understanding of the invention but are not intended to and should not be construed to limit in any way the invention as set forth in the claims which follow thereafter huvec will be prepared from human umbilical cords by the method of jaffe jaffe e a in u201c biology of endothelial cells u201d e a jaffe ed martinus nijhoff the hague 1984 incorporated herein by reference and cultured in medium 199 supplemented with 20 fetal calf serum fcs l glutamine antibiotics 130 ug ml heparin and 1 2 mg ml endothelial cell growth supplement sigma aldrich st louis mo progenitor endothelial cells will be isolated from human peripheral blood by the method of asahara et al isolation.