Polymer Enabled Neovascularization Therapies

 

Prof Paul H.A. Quax, PhD, Leiden University Medical Center

 

DSM, Magnamedics, MUMC+, Nederlandse Hartstichting, TNO, TU/e, UMC Leiden, UMC Utrecht

 

Cardiovascular disease remains the commonest cause of death in industrialized countries. Hence, major efforts have been made to improve treatment and clinical outcome of patients with arterial occlusive diseases (peripheral artery disease and coronary heart disease). Despite recent technological progress, a large number of patients suffering from arterial occlusive diseases is not eligible or does not profit from current therapies, requiring alternative approaches such as neovascularization (i.e. angiogenesis, arteriogenesis) therapies. Neovascularization is a natural process that provides new blood vessels to ischemic organs such as the heart or limb muscles. Our understanding of the biology of neovascularization is very advanced and there is a growing number of potentially effective therapeutic agents to stimulate or enhance ongoing neovascularization. In spite of these opportunities, translation of therapeutic neovascularization has been slow and largely unsuccessful. This has attributed to inadequate drug delivery, lack of sensitive monitoring systems and lack of evidence based patient selection. To improve the clinical efficacy of growth factor therapy, novel delivery platforms that provide local and sustained release are needed.

The aim of this project is the development of a polymer based drug delivery platform that enables local and prolonged delivery of growth factors for the stimulation of neovascularization.