Elastic fibers reconstructed using adenovirus-mediated expression of tropoelastin and tested in the elastase model of abdominal aortic aneurysm in rats

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are associated with a progressive destruction of aortic wall elastin, but methods to treat such aneurysms remain undefined. The development of a gene therapy approach in an animal model, as described in this paper, may be useful in studying the expression of recombinant elastins and the reconstruction of elastic fibers within the aneurysmal wall by VSMCs. Such studies could lead to methods for preventing aneurysm dilatation and for improving aneurysmal wall elasticity in patients.