pubmed:abstractText |
Delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein or gene transfer has been shown to accelerate re-endothelialization and attenuate neointimal hyperplasia in various arterial injury models, including balloon injury, stent implantation, and vein grafts. In addition to stimulating re-endothelialization, we hypothesize that VEGF has further vascular protective functions to prevent neointimal hyperplasia by directly inhibiting mitogen-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
|