Gene Transfer in the Cardiovascular System

The use of gene transfer as a potential therapeutic approach represents a rapidly emerging field of basic and applied medical research that has recently begun to mature into initial clinical trials for a substantial variety of inherited as well as acquired diseases. The diseases which are being evaluated as potential targets for therapeutic approaches involving the use of genetic material encompass illnesses typically treated within a wide range of medical specialties. The field of cardiovascular medicine is no exception to this. The purpose of this text is to help those involved, considering involvement, or merely interested in the various aspects of gene transfer as it is being developed for the tissues of the cardiovascular system.