Vascular Stem/Progenitor Cell Migration and Differentiation in Atherosclerosis
Baoqi Yu1, Qishan Chen2, Alexandra Le Bras3
11 Department of Emergency, Guangdong General Hospital , Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China .
Insights
Vascular stem/progenitor cells drive atherosclerosis development and vascular remodeling. Understanding their migration and differentiation is key for developing new therapies for this major human killer.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death, involves large and middle-sized arteries.
- Vascular stem/progenitor cells in the vessel wall contribute significantly to intimal cell accumulation and vascular remodeling.
- These cells are crucial for repair processes like neointimal hyperplasia and arteriosclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of stem/progenitor cell behavior in atherosclerosis development.
- To understand the regulatory mechanisms governing stem/progenitor cell migration and differentiation.
- To explore the potential of stem/progenitor cell therapy for vascular diseases and regenerative medicine.
Main Methods:
- Recent studies utilize cell lineage tracing to identify the origin of cells in vascular lesions.
- Investigation into the environmental cues and signaling pathways influencing stem/progenitor cell fate.
Main Results:
- Abundant stem/progenitor cells in the vessel wall are responsible for intimal hyperplasia during vascular remodeling.
- Mobilization and recruitment of tissue-resident stem/progenitor cells contribute to endothelial and smooth muscle cell populations.
- Cell lineage tracing indicates adventitial stem/progenitor cells are a major source of smooth muscle cells in neointimal lesions.
Conclusions:
- Stem/progenitor cell behavior critically influences atherosclerosis.
- Understanding stem/progenitor cell regulation is essential for effective stem/progenitor cell therapy.
- Identifying specific pathways controlling cell fate will enable new preventive and therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis.
Significance:
Atherosclerosis is a major cause for the death of human beings, and it takes place in large- and middle-sized arteries. The pathogenesis of the disease has been widely investigated, and new findings on vascular stem/progenitor cells could have an impact on vascular regeneration. Recent Advances: Recent studies have shown that abundant stem/progenitor cells present in the vessel wall are mainly responsible for cell accumulation in the intima during vascular remodeling. It has been demonstrated that the mobilization and recruitment of tissue-resident stem/progenitor cells give rise to endothelial and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) that participate in vascular repair and remodeling such as neointimal hyperplasia and arteriosclerosis. Interestingly, cell lineage tracing studies indicate that a large proportion of SMCs in neointimal lesions is derived from adventitial stem/progenitor cells.
Critical Issues:
The influence of stem/progenitor cell behavior on the development of atherosclerosis is crucial. An understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that control stem/progenitor cell migration and differentiation is essential for stem/progenitor cell therapy for vascular diseases and regenerative medicine.
Future Directions:
Identification of the detailed process driving the migration and differentiation of vascular stem/progenitor cells during the development of atherosclerosis, discovery of the environmental cues, and signaling pathways that control cell fate within the vasculature will facilitate the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies to combat atherosclerosis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000.
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