[Overview on diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic angiogenesis for arteriosclerosis obliterans]

Arteriosclerosis of the extremities is a disease of the blood vessels characterized by hardening and/or narrowing of the arteries that supply the legs and feet. This causes a decrease in blood flow that can injure nerves and other tissues. Therapeutic angiogenesis using angiogenic growth factor is expected to be a new treatment for patients with critical limb ischemia. The first human clinical trial treating peripheral vascular disease was started in 1994 using vascular endothelial growth factor. To date, other potent angiogenic growth factors, such as hepatocyte growth factor(HGF), have been also estimated in clinical trials for peripheral arterial disease. Several results from phase 1 or 2 trials using HGF gene were encouraging. Phase 3 trials are now ongoing and their results are expected.