Gene therapy to control hypertension: current studies and future perspectives

Hypertension is a complex pathophysiological state that leads to serious complications, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, and abnormal renal function. While traditional therapies can be effective in controlling the effects of hypertension, they offer no long-term cure and often lead to patient noncompliance, thereby diminishing their effectiveness. These reasons, coupled with the recent developments in gene transfer and somatic cell gene delivery, led researchers to explore alternative options that can produce long-term control of hypertension. Gene therapy offers the potential to yield lasting antihypertensive effects by influencing the genes associated with hypertension. In this review, we will discuss the merits of sense versus antisense strategies in controlling hypertension. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both viral and nonviral vector types for the systemic delivery of genes for hypertension research. Results of our research group on the retrovirus-mediated delivery of the angiotensin type I receptor-antisense on the prevention of hypertension and related cardiovascular pathophysiology will be summarized. Finally, we discuss the future of this gene therapy approach in the reversal and long-term control of hypertension.