ABSTRACT
Coronary restenosis is defined as a repeat arterial following mechanical revascularization. Although the initial stenosis is usually due to advanced atherosclerosis, subsequent restenosis reflects an excessive repair response after a therapeutic injury, such as balloon angioplasty. Restenosis remains the "Achilles' heel" of interventional cardiology, notwithstanding significant procedural improvements that allow the achievement of initially successful coronary revascularization. Combined clinical and angiographic restenosis occurs in 30 to 50% of patients within the first 6 months after transcatheter coronary revascularization. This translates to several hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide afflicted by this condition. Likewise, similar vascular narrowing may occur after coronary/peripheral bypass surgery or other procedures that induce acute vascular injury, highlighting the need for an effective therapy to control the vascular repair process (Table 1).
