This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Levonen, A.-L. Articles by Ylä-Herttuala, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Levonen, A.-L. Articles by Ylä-Herttuala, S. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Antioxidants Genes and Gene Therapy Related Collections Restenosis Animal models of human disease Pathophysiology Gene therapy Oxidant stress

(Circulation. 2008;117:2142-2150.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Basic Science for Clinicians

Antioxidant Gene Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

Current Status and Future Perspectives

Anna-Liisa Levonen, MD, PhD; Elisa Vähäkangas, MD; Jonna K. Koponen, MSc; Seppo Ylä-Herttuala, MD, PhD, FESC

From the Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland (A.-L.L., E.V., J.K., S.Y.-H.); and the Department of Medicine (S.Y.-H.) and the Gene Therapy Unit (S.Y.-H.), Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.

Correspondence to Anna-Liisa Levonen, MD, PhD, Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627 (street address: Neulaniementie 2), FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland. E-mail Anna-Liisa.Levonen{at}uku.fi

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species has been implicated to play an important role in a number of cardiovascular pathologies, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and restenosis after angioplasty or venous bypass grafting. The formation of reactive oxygen species is balanced out by antioxidant defenses, and augmenting this defense by antioxidant therapies could therefore provide a potential means to treat conditions in which the formation of reactive oxygen species exceeds the capability of natural protective mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the studies in which antioxidant gene therapy has been used successfully to treat cardiovascular diseases. We also discuss the current limitations of antioxidant gene therapy and envision future therapeutic targets and methodological approaches for an improved outcome.

Key Words: antioxidants • cardiovascular diseases • gene therapy

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Padin-Iruegas, Y. Misao, M. E. Davis, V. F.M. Segers, G. Esposito, T. Tokunou, K. Urbanek, T. Hosoda, M. Rota, P. Anversa, et al. Cardiac Progenitor Cells and Biotinylated Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Nanofibers Improve Endogenous and Exogenous Myocardial Regeneration After Infarction Circulation, September 8, 2009; 120(10): 876 - 887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Zhu, Z. Jia, K. Zhou, H. P. Misra, A. Santo, K. L. Gabrielson, and Y. Li Cruciferous Dithiolethione-Mediated Coordinated Induction of Total Cellular and Mitochondrial Antioxidants and Phase 2 Enzymes in Human Primary Cardiomyocytes: Cytoprotection Against Oxidative/Electrophilic Stress and Doxorubicin Toxicity Experimental Biology and Medicine, April 1, 2009; 234(4): 418 - 429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]