Perivascular administration of drugs and genes as a means of reducing vein graft failure

Coronary artery bypass surgery is a highly effective and durable therapy of coronary artery disease. Together with internal mammary arteries the saphenous vein grafts are the most important conduits for coronary surgery. We reviewed the topic of local pharmacologic and gene therapeutic treatment approaches to prevent neointimal hyperplasia in vein grafts. Perivascular therapy of veins before arterialization would be a simple approach that avoids systemic side effects of medications. The current data available show that there are promising experimental approaches (in vitro models, animal in vivo models) for pharmacological and gene therapeutic treatment of vein graft failure.