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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
The Arteriovenous (AV) Loop in a Small Animal Model to Study Angiogenesis and Vascularized Tissue Engineering
Published on: November 2, 2016
Clinical applications of cardiovascular angiogenesis
M A Zimmerman1, C H Selzman, C D Raeburn
1The Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA. michael.zimmerman@UCHSC.edu
Insights
Angiogenesis research explores strategies to treat cardiovascular disease. Therapies aim to promote new blood vessel growth or inhibit abnormal vessel proliferation in atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is crucial for both normal healing and pathological conditions like cancer.
- Manipulating angiogenic signals offers therapeutic potential for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
- Proangiogenic strategies aim to restore blood flow to ischemic tissues, while antiangiogenic strategies target abnormal vessel growth in lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathophysiology of pro- and antiangiogenic strategies for cardiovascular disease.
- To examine clinical trials involving proangiogenic gene or protein therapy for ischemic conditions.
- To explore antiangiogenic approaches for preventing and treating vascular neovascularization in atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of pathophysiologic mechanisms of angiogenesis.
- Analysis of clinical trial data for proangiogenic therapies (gene/protein delivery).
- Exploration of antiangiogenic strategies targeting intimal hyperplasia and smooth muscle cell proliferation.
Main Results:
- Phase 1 trials indicate potential for DNA/protein delivery to stimulate collateral circulation in ischemic myocardium.
- Symptomatic and functional improvements have been observed in early trials.
- Long-term effects on patient survival and toxicity profiles require further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Angiogenesis modulation presents a promising therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases.
- Proangiogenic therapies show potential for treating ischemic conditions, but require further study on long-term outcomes.
- Antiangiogenic strategies are being explored to manage atherosclerotic lesion progression.
Abstract:
Angiogenesis is fundamental to both normal physiologic (wound healing) and pathologic (cancer) processes. Manipulation of divergent angiogenic signals promises effective therapy of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Positive proangiogenic strategies promise collateral circulation to ischemic territories, while negative antiangiogenic strategies starve the fibromuscular proliferation within the atherosclerotic lesion. Indeed, recent phase 1 trials suggest that delivering DNA or recombinant protein to the site of vascular occlusion may stimulate physiologically significant collateral circulation in chronically ischemic myocardium. While symptomatic and functional improvement has been documented, toxicity profiles and effects on long-term patient survival are still unclear. The purposes of this article are as follows: (1) to review the pathophysiologic basis for pro- and antiangiogenic strategies in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, (2) to examine the clinical trials of proangiogenic gene or recombinant protein delivery into ischemic beds, and conversely, (3) to explore antiangiogenic strategies in the prevention and treatment of intimal neovascularization and smooth muscle proliferation within the vessel wall.
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