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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Assessing Therapeutic Angiogenesis in a Murine Model of Hindlimb Ischemia
Published on: June 8, 2019
The future of therapeutic myocardial angiogenesis
Munir Boodhwani1, Neel R Sodha, Roger J Laham
1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Insights
Therapeutic myocardial angiogenesis using growth factors shows promise for ischemic coronary disease but has limited clinical success. Further research is needed to overcome challenges in angiogenic therapy for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Molecular Cardiology
Background:
- Ischemic coronary disease poses a significant health burden, with limited options for end-stage patients.
- Therapeutic myocardial angiogenesis offers a potential treatment strategy for refractory coronary disease.
- Advances in understanding blood vessel formation biology have spurred interest in growth factor-based therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biology of myocardial angiogenesis.
- To evaluate the efficacy of growth factors, specifically vascular endothelial growth factors and fibroblast growth factors, in inducing new blood vessel formation.
- To summarize preclinical and clinical evidence of exogenous growth factor delivery for therapeutic angiogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on myocardial angiogenesis and growth factor therapy.
- Analysis of preclinical studies in animal models.
- Examination of clinical trial data for growth factor-induced angiogenesis in coronary disease patients.
Main Results:
- Growth factor therapy demonstrated success in animal models but yielded limited benefits in human clinical trials.
- Vascular endothelial growth factors and fibroblast growth factors are key angiogenic inducers studied.
- Delivery strategies and endothelial effects were key considerations in the evaluated studies.
Conclusions:
- Exogenous growth factor delivery for myocardial angiogenesis faces limitations despite biological promise.
- Further research is essential to address challenges and improve the efficacy of angiogenic therapies.
- Future directions in angiogenic therapy require innovative strategies for better clinical translation.
Abstract:
Despite improvements in its medical and surgical management, ischemic coronary disease remains responsible for significant morbidity, mortality, and economic burden in developed nations. Therapeutic myocardial angiogenesis is an attractive treatment option for patients with end-stage coronary disease who have failed percutaneous and surgical methods of revascularization. Over the past decade, our understanding of the biology of new blood vessel formation has improved significantly, and consequently, the use of growth factors to induce myocardial angiogenesis has been attempted in preclinical and clinical trials. Although growth factor therapy had demonstrated tremendous success in animal models, clinical trials have shown limited benefit in patients with coronary disease. Vascular endothelial growth factors and fibroblast growth factors are perhaps the most potent inducers of angiogenesis that have been used in animal models, and the only ones that have been used in clinical trials. This review outlines the biology of new vessel formation and the effects of these growth factors in the context of myocardial angiogenesis with an emphasis on the effects on the endothelium. It also provides a brief overview of delivery strategies and summarizes the preclinical and clinical evidence relating to exogenous growth factor delivery for myocardial angiogenesis. Lastly, we discuss the limitations and future challenges of angiogenic therapy.
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