ABSTRACT
Introduction Atherosclerosis is the underlying process in ischaemic vascular disease by which deposits of fatty substances (cholesterol and its derivatives), calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery to form a plaque. The disease pro gresses over decades and eventually can reduce blood flow causing serious problems in the organs that depend on the affected arteries, especially in the heart, the brain and the extremities. The majority of clinical problems are not caused by the size of the plaque but by its fragility. When plaques become fragile and rupture, clots form that can block blood flow locally or break off and precipitate an ischaemic event in another part of the body. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in developed countries and this burden will increase along with the growth of an ageing population. Even though major progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the last two decades there is a need for novel treatments that interfere much more specifically in the pathogenic processes. Gene therapy is a promising possibility. The patho genesis of atherosclerosis is complex and multifactorial. A better understanding of the basic biology underlying these processes, and the identification and isolation of genes involved, has contributed to an explosion of research in the field of cardio vascular genomics and proteomics. In addition, advances in the technology of gene transfer have made therapeutic gene delivery to diseased organs and vessels a realistic goal.
