Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen und Diagnose

Novel Approaches to Vasculopathies: The Role of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Jason Seewoodhary

The potential utility of stem cell therapies for vascular regeneration provides a novel disease-modifying approach towards vasculopathies such as coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and diabetic retinopathy. Stem cell therapies can potentially replace damaged vascular tissue, attenuate further vascular damage, and release soluble factors that act in a paracrine or endocrine manner to facilitate repair and reversal of the pathology that underlies the genesis and propagation of damage within the vasculature. This review critically considers the role of stem cell therapeutics in vascular regeneration.