Potential emerging therapeutic strategies to prevent restenosis in the peripheral vasculature.
Despite the availability of antiplatelet and antithrombotic therapies, recent advances in catheter and stent technology and improved operator skill, restenosis remains the most frequent problem associated with percutaneous and surgical revascularization interventions for both coronary and peripheral arterial disease. Prevention of restenosis in the coronary vasculature has been demonstrated with cilostazol, trapidil, probucol, tranilast, nitric oxide donors, and clopidogrel. Given the similarities in revascularization procedures and in the pathophysiology of restenosis, it is possible that these results may be extrapolated to the setting of restenosis in the peripheral vasculature, making trials with these agents imperative. Several new agents have shown promising preliminary results for the prevention of restenosis in the peripheral vasculature, including cilostazol, low-molecular-weight heparins, and elastase. Several nonpharmacologic treatment modalities are also under study to prevent peripheral and coronary restenosis and have shown favorable initial results. These include endovascular radiation brachytherapy, arterial gene therapy, photoangioplasty, and several novel treatment delivery systems.
Division of Vascular Medicine, St Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02135, USA. veindoc@hotmail.com
Robert M
RM
Schainfeld
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D000077407:Cilostazol; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011341:Probucol / Q000494:pharmacology; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D015607:Stents; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D013777:Tetrazoles; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D000077407:Cilostazol; D013988:Ticlopidine; D011341:Probucol