About this Research Topic

Background

Aging plays a critical role in the deterioration of cardiovascular functionality, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the elderly. Given the substantial increase in the ageing population at a global scale over the previous decades, the prevalence of CVD has grown, becoming the leading cause of death. In this context, cardiovascular remodelling and repair are central mechanisms required to restore the fatal consequences of acute and chronic CVD; a better understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants of cardiovascular repair is vital in the development of novel therapeutic and preventative strategies targeted against CVDs.

Current evidence indicates a clear association between inflammation and tissue repair; in the case of cardiovascular tissue repair, inflammatory factors such as cytokines, chemokines, and alarmins are released as a means to restore efficient tissue blood flow and to revert ischemia. Moreover, inflammatory cells of both innate and adaptive immunity are activated and can contribute to cardiovascular repair at different levels. The balance between repair and damage of inflammatory cells is essential. Limited studies on the macrophage shift between inflammatory M1 and regenerative M2 types, altered number of neutrophils, and the activation of T cells in CVD exist, necessitating the need for further studies on the types and mechanisms of inflammatory cells involved in cardiovascular tissue repair.

Other findings have demonstrated how stem cells and progenitor cells in bone marrow or in the cardiac tissue can support cardiovascular repair in a paracrine-manner. Secreting molecules are known to be delivered to their target cells free or embedded in extracellular vesicles (EV) such as exosomes. Exosomes are able to carry proteins and non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs that consequently influence the biology of their target cells. As a result, this alteration promotes their participation in tissue repair.

This Research Topic aims to provide an overview on the latest findings, analysis of previously published data, and new opinions and perspectives that highlight the role of inflammation and stem cells in the cardiovascular repair process.

Keywords: stem cell, inflammation, repair, exosome, cytokine, chemokine, microRNA, angiogenesis

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