Gene therapy for cerebral arteries

Cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of disabled people in Japan and Western countries. Gene transfer technique is a promising approach for the treatment of severe types of cerebrovascular disease. Cerebral blood vessels could be targeted by gene therapy in several pathological conditions. Perivascular approaches of gene transfer to the cerebral arteries through the subarachnoid space may prevent brain ischemia caused by vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. In the setting of brain ischemia, post-ischemic gene therapy could be effective in the attenuation of ischemic damage in both global and focal brain ischemia. Thus, gene transfer to cerebral blood vessels and ischemic brain tissues would be one of the future therapeutic approaches to cerebrovascular disease. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.