Experimental therapeutics and clinical studies in (re)stenosis

Restenosis is defined functionally as loss of luminal vessel patency following various methods of interventional cardiology, but ultrastructurally, it represents a wound healing response that involves smooth muscle migration, proliferation and matrix deposition at the site of injury. Currently, despite intensive experimental and clinical studies, there are no therapeutic agents that are able to suppress pharmacologically the clinical restenosis. Ultrastructural pathology and animal modeling have played a pivotal role in defining new experimental therapies and rationales for clinical trials. However, concerns regarding the lack of suitable animal models persist and of the many compounds reported efficacious preclinically, none have demonstrated clinical benefit in preventing restenosis. Animal modeling studies now include the use of true restenosis studies, which may be more clinically relevant and pharmacologically predictive of clinical performance.