Local endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms. From operating theater to lab bench

Current treatment of aortic abdominal aneurysms by conventional surgery or endoprosthesis is flawed by high post-operative mortality and unpredictable durability of haemodynamic exclusion, respectively. We have developed endovascular approaches with cell and gene transfer, aimed at controlling further diameter expansion in an animal model of already-developed aneurysms in rats. Preliminary results suggest that both cell and gene endovascular therapy can be used to control expansion of aneurysms generated by inflammation and proteolytic destruction of the aortic wall.