Candidate treatment material for restenosis found

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean scientists has found a
material that could help countless people suffering from restenosis, Kyungpook
National University said Friday.

Restenosis refers to the closing of the arteries of a patient who has
successfully undergone balloon dilatation-stent implantation surgery.
The team led by Lee In-kyu, a professor of internal medicine at the school's
medical college, found the material MB12066 is 90 percent effective in treating
restenosis in mice.
The findings were published in the latest Internet issue of the U.S. journal
"Circulation Research."
A drug could reach the market in about five years, the professor said, noting
that efforts are underway to get clearance for clinical tests on humans.
The balloon and stent procedure is widely used to treat people with clogged
arteries, but leaves scars that often result in irregular cell growth around the
stent.
"At present, there are no effective drugs to deal with this condition, while
surgery is very dangerous," said Lee.
The school, located in the southeastern city of Daegu, said the material could
help the 3,000-4,000 patients each year who undergo balloon-stent treatment in
South Korea alone.
The global market for arteriosclerosis treatment was estimated at 180 trillion
won (US$122 billion) as of 2007.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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