Abstract
BACKGROUND: Caveolins (CAV), a family of integral membrane proteins, are involved in regulating stem cell fate, which are critical for tissue repair and regeneration. Drawing from scientometric studies and comprehensive research, this review investigates the mechanisms by which CAV regulates stem cell fate can improve the efficiency and accuracy of stem cell therapy in treating chronic degenerative diseases (CDD). For instance, CAV1 inhibits neuronal differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) by downregulating VEGF, p44/42MAPK phosphorylation and NeuroD1 signaling pathway following ischemic stroke, while CAV3 interacts with MG53 to enhance the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in diabetic wound healing by activating the eNOS/NO signaling pathway. AIM OF REVIEW: Our review aims to elaborate the impact of CAV on diverse stem cell populations and regulatory mechanisms, as well as point out novel insights brought by CAV and stem cell therapy in the management of CDD, such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), diabetes, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), breast cancer and liver cancer. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OF REVIEW: Based on scientometrics studies, this review synthesizes current analyses of the CAV family's role in determining the fate of various stem cell populations, thereby providing new perspectives for the prevention and treatment of CDD.