Angiogenesis: VEGF-2: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2

Study of:

Thank you for your interest regarding the VEGF-2 study. VEGF-2 (vascular endothelial growth factor-2) is a growth hormone specific to arteries. The purpose of this study is to see if VEGF-2 can help produce more blood vessels in your heart. It is optimal to increase the blood supply to the heart because a decreased supply of blood to the heart, caused by narrowed or blocked arteries, may cause angina, also known as chest pain. VEGF-2 is naturally produced in the human body to start the growth of tiny arteries, called collateral vessels, in areas where blood flow is limited. By giving more of what your body produces naturally, growth hormones specifically designed to create blood vessels, we hope to improve the blood supply to the heart and decrease or eliminate angina. This study is designed to evaluate how well VEGF-2 works and to further test the safety. In this study, the gene for VEGF-2 (or placebo) will be delivered into a patient’s heart muscle during a coronary angiogram. To be eligible for participation, patients should have chest pain, be able to walk on a treadmill and not had cancer in the past 5 years. Patients will return for 5 follow-up visits during the first 12 months after the angiogram.

Timothy D. Henry, MD, FACC

Randall K. Johnson, MD, FACC

Anil K. Poulose, MD, FACC

Jay H. Traverse, MD, FACC, FAHA

Terri Arndt, RN, MA, CCRC

Karen L. Harvey, RN

For more information about this study or the Optimist Program at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, please contact Karen Harvey, RN at 612-863-1661.