Abstract: The present invention provides a method of inhibiting restenosis of a blood vessel in a mammal after mechanical treatment of the vessel to reduce a stenosis. The method includes contacting proliferating smooth muscle cells in the vessel with an antisense oligonucleotide directed against a cellular division cycle gene product. This gene product can be one of the following: c-myc, PCNA, and cyclin B.sub.1. The antisense oligonucleotide is used in an amount effective to inhibit translation of the cellular division cycle gene product in the cell.

Abstract: A method for facilitating in a damaged heart or a heart in need of improved circulation the growth of cardiac blood vessels while reducing the risk of undesired vascularization in other areas of the body comprises:(a) inserting a catheter into a coronary artery and providing an infusion port of said catheter accessible to the administration of coronary drug injections;(b) injecting an effective amount into the heart of a blood vessel growth promoting peptide through said infusion port of said catheter; and(c) repeating periodically on subsequent days the step of injecting said blood vessel growth factor via said catheter, with said periodic injections being continued until improved cardiac blood flow has been obtained. The invention may be applied to a method for treating atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, which comprise as part of the treatment steps the above method for improving cardiac blood flow via the growth of cardiac blood vessels.