Placental growth factor may help body repair heart att...( errupted coronary blood flow similar t...),Health

Although the researchers say their results suggest that PlGF should be studied as a potential heart attack treatment, they pointed out that studies of a similar substance, called VEGF, produced some disappointing results. Although early studies indicated that VEGF could spur the development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), many of the new blood vessels did not work properly.

"The possibility of VEGF treatment for heart attack has been extensively studied because of its established angiogenic capacity, but previous in vivo studies with VEGF gene or recombinant VEGF protein were not always successful in the preservation of ventricular function because of the development of non-functioning or unstable capillary vessels. On the other hand, PlGF is previously reported to enhance not only capillary, but also collateral formation in ischemic tissue. According to our observation in this study, we speculate that PlGF becomes the alternative molecule to enhance tissue repair after acute myocardial infarction," Dr. Uemura said.

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Contact: Amy Murphy
amurphy@acc.org
301-581-3476
American College of Cardiology
13-Apr-2006