Pharmacologic intervention in cardiovascular disease has seen considerable success during the past several decades, and remains one of the most intensively active areas of research and development. Among the drugs that have proven highly useful are antihypertensives, anti-arrythmics, lipid- lowering drugs, and anticoagulant/clot lysing agents. The armamentarium of cardiovascular drugs is being augmented by new development and delivery approaches, including gene therapy.

The work with heparin in Dr. John J. Castellot’s laboratory has already led to clinical trials using modified heparin molecules to reduce the 30+% restenosis rates seen following angioplasty. Recent work with the heparin-induced growth-arrest specific gene using adenoviral delivery vectors suggest that a gene therapy approach using this system may be useful in clinical settings.