Gene Therapy Helps Angina Sufferers

Gene therapy improves the blood flow to the heart of people suffering from angina, say researchers. Dr Cindy L Grines and colleagues used gene therapy to administer a gene coding for fibroblast growth factor (Ad5FGF-4), which promotes the growth of secondary or "collateral" blood vessels, into the coronary arteries of 35 angina sufferers. A further 17 patients were treated with a placebo. Results obtained at the end of the study, eight weeks later, showed that the area of poor perfusion (blood flow) in the heart was reduced by 4.2% in those who received the gene therapy. Meanwhile in the placebo group, perfusion improved by just 1.6%. Perhaps more importantly, an increase in the area of impaired perfusion was seen in just 6% of the gene therapy group, compared with 35% of the placebo group. In addition, those treated with gene therapy tended to see a greater improvement in angina symptoms than those in the control group did. So much so that just eight weeks after treatment 43% of treated patients compared with 17% of placebo patients no longer needed to take nitroglycerin, a drug commonly used to treat the disease.

SOURCE/REFERENCE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2003;42:1339-1347.