Gene Therapy may be the Future in Amputation Prevention in Diabetics with Poor Blood Flow

Cardiologists and vascular surgeons at Rush University Medical Center are now studying in innovative but investigational new medication that involves gene therapy. Researchers are working to determine whether or not gene therapy can promote new blood vessel growth in the feet and legs of patients who suffer from critical limb ischemia.

Critical limb ischemia is a condition that results in a severe lack of blood flow to the patient’s feet and legs. This often occurs in patients with diabetes. Peripheral vascular disease and disruptions in blood flow to the feet and legs are a major cause of amputation in the United States. At present, about 70% of all amputations are related to diabetes.

When a patient has diabetes, the process of atherosclerosis which clogs the arteries happens faster. If this process goes on for long enough, critical limb ischemia can develop. Because the arteries become clogged, there is less circulation to the feet and legs.

This results in a lack of oxygen and, in a sense, starves the tissues of nutrients. Without nutrients, the tissue start to die off and ulcers (or diabetic foot sores)can develop. “The goal of gene therapy is to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. The additional blood vessels will carry more blood into the legs, alleviating pain and healing ulcers,” one of the researchers said.

The research is presently being done at Rush University involves Phase III clinical trials which will evaluate the effectiveness of gene therapy in preventing amputations in people with critical limb ischemia.

At present there are no prescription drugs at all available which can effectively treat critical limb ischemia. Because there are so few interventions that are effective, new therapies are needed in order to prevent the sorts of amputations.

This type of gene therapy is known as angiogenesis therapy, which means growth of new blood vessels. This sort of gene therapy appears to induce the production of a protein called fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1) which stimulates the growth of blood vessels at the site of injection.

The clinical trials that are now under way will last for one year. Participants are over 50 years of age, have stable ulcerations of the skin and noninfected gangrene on a foot or leg. All have also been diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia. The participants will receive for injections of the investigational medication or a placebo into the leg muscle a two week intervals.

It is known that about 8 million people suffer from peripheral arterial disease. In the United States, that means one out of every 40 adults. It is a very common disease. It is often underdiagnosed. Because it is so common in diabetic patients, this might provide new hope for the prevention of diabetic foot amputations.


Dr. Christopher Segler is an author, inventor and award winning diabetic foot specialist. He is the founder of a private consulting firm specializing in the prevention of diabetic foot amputations. If you or someone you care about has diabetes, you can learn more by simply requesting your FREE report “No Leg Left To Stand On: The Secrets Insurance Companies Don’t Want You To Know About Diabetic Foot Amputation” at http://www.ineedmyfeet.com.