[Gene transfer with ultrasound and microbubbles (optison) as a potential treatment for cardiovascular diseases].
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developed countries. Most conventional therapy is inefficient and tends to treat the symptoms rather than the underlying causes of the disorder. Gene therapy based on ultrasound with microbubbles offers a novel approach for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The major development of gene transfer has importantly contributed to intense investigation of the potential of gene therapy in cardiovascular medicine. The amazing advances in molecular biology have provided a dramatic improvement of the technology that is necessary to transfer target genes into somatic cells. Gene transfer methods have been surprisingly improved. In fact, some of them (retroviral vectors, adenoviral vectors or liposome based vectors, etc) have been used in clinical trials already. However, some severe side effects were reported in clinical gene therapy using such viral vector, so people wish for safe and efficient clinical gene therapy. Transfection with ultrasound and microbubbles has been reported as a new powerful tool in a new class for gene therapy.
Taniyama
Yoshiaki
Y
Division of Clinical Gene Therapy, Department of Geriatric Medicine Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tomita
Naruya
N
Endoh
Seiji
S
Kaneda
Yasufumi
Y
Ogihara
Toshio
T
Morishita
Ryuichi
R
D000418:Albumins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy
D000418:Albumins; C099458:FS 069; D005466:Fluorocarbons