BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

Making angiogenesis work for the heart

March 2, 1998 8:00 AM UTC

Within a few years, if all goes well, patients with heart disease could have an alternative to the invasive procedures that are the norm for many today. Researchers are publishing the first clinical results using growth factors to promote the growth of blood vessels surrounding the heart to circumvent blocked arteries in coronary artery disease. When administered directly to the heart, the factors tried in the clinic appear to induce a sustained response regardless of whether a gene or protein is given, or the method of administration.

The idea behind angiogenic therapy is to stimulate endothelial cells lining the internal walls of arteries to grow and form new vessels, the opposite of the effect desired in cancer therapy, where anti-angiogenic factors are being used to halt the vessel formation that supports tumor growth...