Molecular Therapeutic Approaches for Myocardial Protection.

Heart failure associated with coronary artery disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent developments in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of heart failure have led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets which, combined with the availability of efficient gene delivery vectors, offer the opportunity for the design of gene therapies for protection of the myocardium. Viral and cell-based therapies have been developed to treat polygenic and complex diseases such as myocardial ischemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis. In addition, cell-based therapies may have potential application in neovascularization and regeneration of ischemic and infarcted myocardium. The recent isolation of regeneration-competent endothelial precursor cells from adult bone marrow provides a novel opportunity for repair of the failing heart using autologous cell transplantation. In this chapter we will focus on the latest advances in the field of gene- and cell-based therapies for treatment of heart failure, and their clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]