Endothelial Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease: Critical Target for Cell-Based Therapies

This review briefly summarizes how cell-based therapeutic interventions are being developed and applied to treat endothelial dysfunction (ED) as a critical clinical target. ED directly contributes to the onset and prognosis for all of the major forms of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, pulmonary artery hypertension, peripheral hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. Current pharmacological therapies used to treat ED are discussed and compared with newer strategies employing endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other stem cells for tissue repair/regeneration therapies. Cell-based therapies to treat ED are still largely experimental but they are emerging in the clinic and represent a promising avenue for new interventional options to combat cardiovascular disease and improve patient outcomes.