title: Prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty: towards a molecular approach?
abstract: Restenosis after coronary angioplasty, the main limitation of interventional cardiology, remains an unsolved issue. The failure to-date of all pharmacological attempts at prevention has prompted the development of alternative strategies. A mechanistic approach to the problem of restenosis is based on the assumption that creating a more satisfactory acute angioplasty result would reduce the development of restenosis. With the exception of coronary stenting, however, none of the new angioplasty devices have convincingly reached this goal. Furthermore, recent advances in the field of vascular biology have opened new avenues for a molecular approach of restenosis. Better understanding of the pathophysiology of restenosis, in conjunction with high-pace development of catheter, polymer, and virus technologies, provide opportunities to deliver agents--drugs, genes, or antisense oligonucleotides--locally, at the site of angioplasty to interfere specifically with the restenosis process. Some of these molecular strategies are currently being investigated in animal models. Clinical application of a molecular approach to prevent restenosis, however, will require close collaboration between physicians, molecular biologists, and bio-engineers.
authors.affiliation: Unité Physiopathologie du Coeur et des Artères, Faculté Bichat, Paris, France.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riessen
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Steg
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D015607:Stents
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors