Gene delivery to rabbit arteries using the collar model

Emerging knowledge of molecular pathology of vascular diseases provides new targets for vascular gene therapy. Sufficient expression of a gene of interest in the vessel wall can be achieved using either extravascular or intravascular gene delivery approaches (1). Plasmid DNA, transferred by an extravascular approach, gives transfection efficiency high enough to cause biological effects. Plasmids and adenoviruses can be used for both extravascular and intravascular gene therapy. The collar model allows one to use controlled gene transfer. In this chapter we describe two gene delivery methods used for extravascular and intravascular gene transfer experiments.