Genes Released From Coated Stents Could Reduce Coronary Artery Restenosis Rates

WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – Localized delivery of genes from coronary artery stents could reduce the risk of restenosis, according to a report in the November 1st issue of Nature Biotechnology.

Dr. Robert Levy and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, formulated a polymer containing plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein and tested the properties of a stent coated with the product in cell culture and in porcine coronary angioplasty procedures in vivo.

Coated stents showed sustained release of DNA in vitro after an early burst resulted in release of 50% during the first hour, the authors report. The DNA efficiently transfected rat aortic smooth muscle cells in culture. The DNA was also successfully expressed by the cells surrounding the segments of porcine coronary arteries in which the DNA stents were deployed, the researchers report.

“Overexpression of therapeutic proteins using experimental gene therapy has shown efficacy in many animal model studies of restenosis. Our paper,” the investigators assert, “reports a biotechnology-driven delivery system that could be used with any of these potential candidate genes.”

“Localized gene delivery based on an implantable device is now a reality,” Dr. Levy commented to Reuters Health.

“Localizing therapy now offers the possibility of tailoring regional therapy with multiple controllable constructs to prevent procedure-related complications and to treat the underlying disease,” he went on to say, “whether it be vascular, cancer, etc.”

Nat Biotechnol 2000;18:1181-1184.