Cardiac angiogenesis and gene therapy: a strategy for myocardial revascularization

Angiogenesis, the de novo formation of new vasculature, is a critical respo nse to ischemia that provides neovascularization of ischemic tissues. In th erapeutic angiogenesis, an angiogen-a mediator that induces angiogenesis-is delivered to targeted tissues, augmenting the native angiogenic process an d enhancing reperfusion of ischemic tissues. Gene transfer is a novel means of providing therapeutic angiogenesis: the cDNA coding for specific angiog ens, rather than the proteins themselves, is administered to the tissues in which angiogenesis is desired, This review is focused on therapeutic angio genesis based on gene transfer strategies for the provision of myocardial r evascularization, (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.