Localized Intracoronary Gamma-Radiation Therapy to Inhibit the Recurrence of Restenosis after Stenting

Although coronary stents provide a metal scaffolding that reduces the risk of restenosis 1 – 4 by eliminating vascular contraction, 5 , 6 stents do not inhibit neointimal proliferation but, rather, induce greater neointimal proliferation than do other coronary devices. 7 , 8 Therefore, an effective treatment for restenosis within the stent requires the suppression of this neointimal response. The current treatments, including pharmacologic approaches, 9 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), 10 – 12 atheroablative techniques, 13 – 15 and repeated stenting, 16 have been disappointing. Radiation therapy, with its known antiproliferative effects in other diseases, 17 has been proposed as a treatment for in-stent restenosis. The findings from two preliminary randomized, double-blind . . .