Vascular endothelial growth factor 2 plasmid (pVGI.1) (pVGI.1)

pVGI.1 is a non-viral plasmid DNA vector designed to express the human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2 (VEGF-2) protein, also known as VEGF-C (Circulation, 1999). Developed primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions, pVGI.1 serves as a gene therapy agent intended to induce therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with ischemic diseases such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (Human Gene Therapy, 1999). The plasmid is typically administered via direct intramuscular or intramyocardial injection, where it facilitates the local production of VEGF-2 to promote the growth of collateral blood vessels and improve tissue perfusion (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2000). Upon entering host cells, the plasmid utilizes cellular machinery to transcribe and translate the VEGF-2 gene, leading to the secretion of the growth factor into the surrounding tissue. This secreted protein then binds to and activates its cognate receptors, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3, on the surface of endothelial cells, triggering signaling pathways that result in vessel formation. Although early-phase clinical trials demonstrated safety and potential bioactivity in patients with critical limb ischemia, subsequent larger-scale studies faced challenges in meeting primary efficacy endpoints (Gene Therapy, 2004). As a therapeutic modality, pVGI.1 represents an approach to biologic bypass by leveraging the body's natural growth factors to overcome arterial blockages.

Other names

VEGF-2 plasmidpVEGF-2phVEGF-2BIOBYPASS

Expression of VEGF-2 protein which binds to and activates VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 receptors on endothelial cells to stimulate angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.