Gene therapy for collateral vessel development.
Transfer of the cDNA coding for angiogenic factors represents a novel and promising approach to induce therapeutic angiogenesis and enhance blood flow to ischemic tissues which cannot be revascularized otherwise. This review will focus on therapeutic angiogenesis based on gene transfer techniques for the treatment of myocardial and limb ischemia. The experimental studies demonstrating the angiogenic effect of recombinant growth factors in animal models and in humans, as well as the most promising methods for gene transfer, will be described. Further, gene transfer studies to induce therapeutic angiogenesis will be reviewed to identify critical questions that still need to be answered before gene therapy with angiogenic factors may be considered for routine clinical application.
Melillo
G
G
Laboratorio di Patologia Vascolare, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, Rome, Italy.
Scoccianti
M
M
Kovesdi
I
I
Safi
J
J
Riccioni
T
T
Capogrossi
M C
MC
D003097:Collateral Circulation; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000628:therapy; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors