Manipulating angiogenesis against vascular disease.

Gene therapy to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels is proving to be an effective way of bypassing occluded arteries and reestablishing blood flow to ischemic tissues. It could eventually replace surgical revascularization and angioplasty, which are not only more invasive but also plagued with restenosis, problems limiting long-term management of coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease.