Therapeutic angiogenesis, the desirable growth of new blood vessels, has been shown to reverse the degenerative processes associated with coronary vascular disease, thus holding the potential to reduce morbidity and death in about 14 million Americans. Catheter based intracardiac injection of blood vessel stimulating DNA agents is known to be an effective means of nurturing new blood vessel growth. The pharmacologic safety margin remains the principal concern, as systemic distribution of the blood vessel stimulating hormones and any associated viral DNA can lead to undesirable side effects, including death. The intramuscular injection of naked DNA plasmid, which is free of viral DNA, provides one of the safest known gene transfection techniques. However, efficacy has been limited due to relatively low gene transfection rates. PharmaSonics has developed ultrasound technology (UGeneRx) that has been shown, in both porcine myocardium and rabbit skeletal muscle, to safely increase gene transfection rates and local angiogenesis. In this Phase 2 application, PharmaSonics is requesting funding to develop a minimally invasive UGeneRx delivery system.
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| Holguin, Fernando; Cribbs, Sushma; Fitzpatrick, Anne M et al. (2010) A deep breath bronchoconstricts obese asthmatics. J Asthma 47:55-60 |
