Controlled release systems of angiogenic growth factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Worldwide, there is a growing number of patients with myocardial ischemia and limb ischemia associated with the aging population and an increased prevalence of atherosclerotic diseases. Medical therapy, percutaneous angioplasty and surgical revascularization are the present treatments of choice, but such treatments are not feasible for some patients with severe atherosclerosis. Therapeutic angiogenesis using growth factors or progenitor cells has drawn great attention as a favorable alternative treatment for such patients. This review discusses clinical trials using angiogenic growth factors for myocardial ischemia and limb ischemia, and also introduces a novel controlled release system for growth factors using a gelatin hydrogel.