Vascular Regenerative Cell Flux in Diabetes: Mechanistic and Clinical Implications

Vascular regenerative cells, including endothelial precursor cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells, exhibit altered regenerative function in type 2 diabetes. Traditional definitions of endothelial precursor cells lack phenotypic specificity, limiting interpretation of regenerative capacity across studies. Functional assays, including colony formation, migration, and in vivo ischemic models for type 2 diabetes, have revealed defects in angiogenesis, proliferation, and repair. Emerging omics approaches provide mechanistic insight into vascular regenerative cell exhaustion across metabolic and inflammatory states. Standardized phenotyping and functional assays are needed to improve the translational success of regenerative therapies for cardiometabolic diseases.