Patent ID: 6780406
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: A61K,A61P,C12N

Abstract:
A method for inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation after balloon injury of a blood vessel in a mammal, comprising:introducing a polynucleotide to said blood vessel by catheter instillation at the site of said balloon injury after said balloon injury, said polynucleotide comprising a thymidine kinase gene in a eukaryotic expression vector complexed with a nonviral vector; expressing said thymidine kinase gene to produce thymidine kinase protein in smooth muscle cells of said blood vessel; and then administering to said mammal an effective amount of a DNA replication-inhibiting nucleoside analog capable of being phosphorylated by said thymidine kinase protein, whereby said phosphorylated analog is preferentially incorporated into the DNA of proliferating cells, and whereby said proliferating cells are killed.