Angiogenic Growth Factors for Inoperable CAD
Therapy with angiogenic growth factors is emerging as a potential treatment for patients with severe, inoperable coronary artery disease (CAD). Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seem to be effective in initiating neovascularisation (neo-angiogenesis) in hypoxic or ischaemic myocardial tissues after either direct administration of the growth factor or gene therapy (gene transfection in the arterial wall resulting in endogenous production of the growth factor). The first clinical studies with these compounds in patients with CAD have shown promising results.
Therapy with angiogenic growth factors is emerging as a potential treatment for patients with severe, inoperable coronary artery disease (CAD). Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seem to be effective in initiating neovascularisation (neo-angiogenesis) in hypoxic or ischaemic myocardial tissues after either direct administration of the growth factor or gene therapy (gene transfection in the arterial wall resulting in endogenous production of the growth factor). The first clinical studies with these compounds in patients with CAD have shown promising results.