Recently patented applications of homologous cellular and extracellular agents as therapeutics or targets for the prevention of restenosis post-angioplasty.
Currently available drug-eluting stents have been shown to reduce the prevalence of in-stent restenosis. However, their use is limited by their enormous cost and unwanted side effects associated with both drugs, sirolimus and paclitaxel, presently used to coat most of the stents clinically available. Due to their lack of selectivity with respect to targeted cell types these drugs do not only inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation underlying neointima formation, they also compromise endothelial repair increasing the risk for subacute thrombosis following implantation of drug-eluting stents. Accordingly, there is need for new cost-effective agents capable to inhibit restenosis without clinically relevant, unwanted side effects. In the present paper a selection of the most important patent applications published within the last 3 years and claiming the use of homologous cellular and extracellular agents as therapeutics or targets to prevent restenosis are reviewed. Such agents include c-Jun, the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and its inhibitor FAK-related non-kinase (FRNK), estrogen receptors, variants of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) as well as some so far poorly characterized factors supposedly involved in the control of cell proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis. Such agents promise to be cost-effective and, in some cases, potentially devoid of unwanted side effects. Clinical long-term studies have yet to support such notions.
Klocke
Rainer
R
Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University of Münster, Germany.
Hasib
Lekbira
L
Nikol
Sigrid
S
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D021881:DNA, Catalytic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016758:Genes, jun; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D010330:Patents as Topic; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000627:therapeutic use
D021881:DNA, Catalytic; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D004958:Estradiol; C113183:FAK-related nonkinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases