Gene-Edited Stem Cells for Ischemic Vascular Disease: Current Advances and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Vascular Biology
• Genetic Engineering

Background:

• Ischemic vascular diseases cause significant global morbidity and mortality, often leading to irreversible tissue damage.
• Current stem cell therapies for vascular regeneration face challenges like poor cell survival, engraftment, and immune rejection.
• Genome editing offers precise genetic modification of stem cells to overcome these therapeutic limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of genome editing technologies for engineering stem cells in vascular regeneration.
• To explore how gene editing can enhance stem cell properties for treating ischemic diseases.
• To discuss translational aspects, including safety, ethics, and emerging therapeutic concepts.

Main Methods:

• Review of current genome-editing technologies (CRISPR/Cas9, base editing, prime editing).
• Analysis of stem cell engineering strategies for vascular repair.
• Examination of therapeutic concepts and translational pathways.

Main Results:

• Gene editing can improve stem cell survival, engraftment, and angiogenic potential.
• Genetic modification can enhance resistance to ischemic stress and augment paracrine activity.
• Editing can reduce immunogenicity, facilitating the development of universal donor cell platforms.

Conclusions:

• Genome editing provides powerful tools to engineer stem cells for enhanced vascular regeneration.
• Advances in this field are crucial for developing durable regenerative therapies for ischemic vascular diseases.
• Addressing safety, ethics, and translational pathways is key for clinical application.