The combination of stem cells and tissue engineering: an advanced strategy for blood vessels regeneration and vascular disease treatment

Stem Cell Res Ther. 2017 Sep 15;8(1):194. doi: 10.1186/s13287-017-0642-y.

Abstract

Over the past years, vascular diseases have continued to threaten human health and increase financial burdens worldwide. Transplantation of allogeneic and autologous blood vessels is the most convenient treatment. However, it could not be applied generally due to the scarcity of donors and the patient's condition. Developments in tissue engineering are contributing greatly with regard to this urgent need for blood vessels. Tissue engineering-derived blood vessels are promising alternatives for patients with aortic dissection/aneurysm. The aim of this review is to show the importance of advances in biomaterials development for the treatment of vascular disease. We also provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of tissue reconstruction from stem cells and transplantable cellular scaffold constructs, focusing on the combination of stem cells and tissue engineering for blood vessel regeneration and vascular disease treatment.

Keywords: Regeneration; Scaffold material; Stem cells; Vascular tissue engineering.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology
  • Adipose Tissue / physiology
  • Animals
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Aorta / surgery
  • Aortic Aneurysm / pathology
  • Aortic Aneurysm / physiopathology
  • Aortic Aneurysm / therapy*
  • Aortic Dissection / pathology
  • Aortic Dissection / physiopathology
  • Aortic Dissection / therapy*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / transplantation
  • Endothelial Progenitor Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Progenitor Cells / physiology
  • Endothelial Progenitor Cells / transplantation
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / physiology
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / transplantation
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology
  • Regeneration / physiology
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*
  • Tissue Scaffolds*