Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive vascular inflammation characterized by lipid deposition and plaque formation, for which vascular cell dysfunction and impaired immune responses are involved. Up to now, lipid-lowering drugs remain the main therapy for treating atherosclerosis; however, the surgical or interventional therapy is often applied, and yet, morbidity and mortality of such cardiovascular disease remain high worldwide. Over the past decades, an anti-inflammatory approach has become an important therapeutic target for dealing with atherosclerosis, as altered immune responses have been regarded as an essential player in the pathological process of vascular abnormality induced by hyperlipidemia. Interestingly, mesenchymal stem cells, one type of stem cells with the capabilities of self-renewal and multi-potential, have demonstrated their unique immunomodulatory function in the various pathological process, especially in atherosclerosis. While some controversies remain regarding their therapeutic efficacy and working mechanisms, our present review aims to summarize the current research progress on stem cell-based therapy, focusing on its immunomodulatory effects on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and how endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and other immune cells are regulated by MSC-based therapy.