GENE-THERAPY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASES

The advent of gene therapy techniques has made it possible to interven e in cardiovascular diseases by transferring an appropriate therapeuti c gene to the relevant cells in humans. A number of preclinical effort s have begun to culminate in clinical studies for life threatening con ditions like hypercholesterolaemia and ischaemic vascular disease. Oth er cardiovascular indications are under investigation, with late stage preclinical studies focusing on restenosis, transplant atherosclerosi s and rejection, and various lipoprotein abnormalities. Several recent reviews have outlined the issues surrounding gene therapy in general [1,2]. This review will discuss gene transfer approaches designed spec ifically to treat diseases of the cardiovascular system, and relevant patents and patent applications.