Gene Therapy for Restenosis: Progress or Frustration?

No systemic pharmacological treatment has been shown to convincingly reduce the incidence of restenosis after angioplasty in patients. The lack of success of many pharmaceutical agents in reducing restenosis rates post-angioplasty and following stent-implementation shown in dozens of clinical trials has encouraged the development of new technological approaches as treatment. Gene therapy has the potential to prevent some of the sequelae after arterial injury, particularly cell proliferation. Mechanical methods of preventing restenosis, such as sophisticated local drug delivery strategies and biodegradable stents using new materials in combination with gene therapy, may be of use to maximize safety and efficiency.