Catheter-Based Radiotherapy to Inhibit Restenosis after Coronary Stenting

Despite its wide acceptance, coronary angioplasty is limited by rates of restenosis of 30 to 60 percent. 1 In recent years, much has been learned about the mechanism of restenosis, which can be divided into two broad components. The first component, recoil and remodeling, involves the mechanical collapse and constriction of the treated vessel. The second component, intimal hyperplasia, is the proliferative response to injury, which consists largely of smooth-muscle cells and matrix formation. 2 – 5 Coronary stents provide a luminal scaffolding that virtually eliminates recoil and remodeling and have been shown to reduce the likelihood of restenosis by approximately 30 percent. . . .