THE BASIS OF MOLECULAR STRATEGIES FOR TREATING CORONARY RESTENOSIS AFTER ANGIOPLASTY

Excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation significantly con tributes to restenosis, which occurs in 25% to 50% of patients within 6 months of coronary angioplasty. Because successful treatment will probably de pend on our acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the molecular and c ellular mechanisms involved, this report reviews 1) information releva nt to the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the smooth muscle cell(s) response to vascular injury, and 2) several molecular- based therapeutic strategies currently being explored as possible appr oaches to the control of restenosis, including recombinant DNA technol ogy to target delivery of cytotoxic molecules to proliferating smooth muscle cell(s), antisense strategies to inhibit expression of gene pro ducts necessary for cell proliferation and gene therapy.