[Gene therapy in cardiology]

The modification of genetic material of living cells for therapeutic purposes have been regarded by many as an unrealized promise. However, recent successful achievements in the field have contributed to vanish this perception and have reopened the possibility to use gene therapy as a medical intervention in humans. In the case of cardiovascular diseases, and despite its high prevalence, the number of approved human gene therapy protocols has remained low. This may be due, at least in part, to the availability of effective alternative therapies for some of the most common vasculopathies. However, recent advances in the understanding of the genetic and molecular bases of the cardiovascular system have opened the possibility to introduce gene therapy in the management of a great variety of cardiovascular disorders. The purpose of this communication is to briefly summarize the progress in this area.