Genetic engineering of vein grafts resistant to atherosclerosis. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Previously, researchers have speculated that genetic engineering can improve the long-term function of vascular grafts which are prone to atherosclerosis and occlusion. In this study, we demonstrated that an intraoperative gene therapy approach using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide blockage of medial smooth muscle cell proliferation can prevent the accelerated atherosclerosis that is responsible for autologous vein graft failure. Selective blockade of the expression of genes for two cell cycle regulatory proteins, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cell division cycle 2 kinase, was achieved in the smooth muscle cells of rabbit jugular veins grafted into the carotid arteries. This alteration of gene expression successfully redirected vein graft biology away from neointimal hyperplasia and toward medial hypertrophy, yielding conduits that more closely resembled normal arteries. More importantly, these genetically engineered grafts proved resistant to diet-induced atherosclerosis. These findings establish the feasibility of developing genetically engineered bioprostheses that are resistant to failure and better suited to the long-term treatment of occlusive vascular disease.

publication date

  • May 9, 1995

Research

keywords

  • Aorta
  • Arteriosclerosis
  • Cell Transplantation
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • Vascular Surgical Procedures

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC41972

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0029019576

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1073/pnas.92.10.4502

PubMed ID

  • 7753833

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 92

issue

  • 10