Genetic Biomarker Helps Predict Long-Term Success in Leg Bypass Surgery for PAD

Bypass surgery to repair blocked arteries in the legs leads to more durable and long-lasting results in approximately twenty-percent of patients with two copies of a specific gene variation, one inherited from each parent. The study, co-funded by Vascular Cures and the NIH, was led by  Michael S. Conte, M.D., Chief of the Division of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, and co-director of the Heart and Vascular Center at UCSF and  Alexander Clowes, M.D., Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Conte noted that "this is the first genetic biomarker identified to date that can be used to help predict how durable the restoration of blood flow is likely to be after bypass surgery." Clowes added that the newly identified biomarker, "may help us identify patients at increased risk of treatment failures, and accelerate drug development to prevent re-narrowing of vascular reconstructions."