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A balancing act: therapeutic approaches for the modulation of angiogenesis

Matthew L Springer1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0124, USA. matt.springer@medicine.ucsf.edu

Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs (London, England : 2000)
|March 25, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Therapeutic angiogenesis shows promise for ischemic diseases, but clinical trials face challenges. Alternative strategies like progenitor cell delivery are being explored for better outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Therapeutic angiogenesis and arteriogenesis offer potential treatments for ischemic heart and limb diseases.
  • Preclinical studies using angiogenic factors or gene delivery in animal models show positive results.
  • Clinical trials have yielded mixed outcomes, with some demonstrating limited but significant improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the transition of therapeutic angiogenesis from preclinical to clinical studies.
  • To identify challenges in interpreting clinical data for angiogenesis therapies.
  • To discuss alternative strategies for treating ischemic diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of preclinical and clinical studies on therapeutic angiogenesis.
  • Analysis of challenges in clinical trial data interpretation.
  • Exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies.

Main Results:

  • Preclinical data often show positive outcomes for angiogenesis and arteriogenesis.
  • Clinical trial results have frequently fallen short of expectations.
  • Some clinical trials have shown modest but significant therapeutic benefits.

Conclusions:

  • Transitioning angiogenesis therapies from animal models to human trials presents significant hurdles.
  • Careful interpretation of clinical data is crucial for advancing angiogenesis therapies.
  • Alternative approaches, including endogenous regulation and progenitor cell therapy, warrant further investigation for ischemic diseases.

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