Targeting Arterial Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease Using Stem Cell-Based Therapies

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Arterial regeneration represents a critical frontier in cardiovascular medicine, as progressive endothelial dysfunction, maladaptive vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) plasticity, and chronic inflammation drive atherosclerosis, restenosis, and vascular aging. Although current therapies such as pharmacological risk-modifying therapies and interventional revascularization procedures mitigate the risk and delay the progression, they are still unable to restore vascular integrity. Stem cell-based strategies were initially conceived to replace the lost vascular cells directly; however, accumulating evidence indicates their therapeutic benefits arise from paracrine mechanisms including regulation of endothelial repair, modulation of SMC phenotypic switching, and attenuation of inflammatory signaling. This paradigm shift has expanded the regenerative landscape to encompass endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular lineages, and engineered extracellular vesicle platforms. Parallel advances in biomaterials, mechanically tuned scaffolds, and hybrid cell-matrix constructs provide more physiologic microenvironments for vascular repair and enhance the retention, potency, and safety of regenerative therapies. Concurrently, gene editing, metabolic reprogramming, and hypoxic preconditioning further refine the functional capacity of s

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.