Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

The Emerging Role of Stem/Progenitor Cells in Pulmonary Vascular Disease

Saima Rajabali, Duncan J. Stewart, Shirley H. J. Mei and Bernard Thébaud

Pulmonary hypertension is a severe disease characterized by small pulmonary artery obstruction from vascular proliferation and remodeling leading to elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure and death. Current treatments include prostacyclin analogs, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, which largely address mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction that were identified over 2 decades ago. Despite advances in understanding the disease mechanisms and the development of new pharmacological therapies, the prognosis of pulmonary hypertension remains poor. Recent advances in stem cell biology have unraveled the potential of stem/progenitor cells to repair damaged organs and offer the possibility for cell-based treatment for intractable diseases. This review summarizes the emerging role of stem/progenitor cells in the pathophysiology and the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.