Table 2.
Advantages and disadvantages of different cell types in vascular engineering.
| Cell Category | Cell Type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autologous somatic cells | Vascular derived ECs, SMCs and fibroblasts, Dermal fibroblasts |
Easy sourcing, culture and expansion. Immune compatibility. |
Invasive harvesting risks donor site complications. Limited proliferative and regenerative capacities. |
[16,51,104] |
| Progenitor cells | Vascular endothelial progenitor cells, Bone marrow-derived SMC progenitor cells |
Able to isolate from bone marrow and blood. Greater replicative and regenerative potential. |
Availability may be depleted in the elderly population. | [80,83,106] |
| Mesenchymal stem cells | MSC derived SMCs | May be extracted from multiple sources. Remarkable genomic stability. |
Limited differentiation into ECs. Rapidly lose their differentiation potency during in vitro expansion. |
[62,64,70,71,74,75,76,77] |
| Embryonic stem cells | ESCs | Ability of self-renewal. Can be differentiated into vascular ECs and SMC. |
Safety concerns (risk of teratoma formation). Ethical issues. |
[57,58] |
| Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) | Wide range of somatic cells | Can be differentiated into any cell type. Excellent self-renewal capacity. Reduced risk of immunogenicity. |
Risk of tumorigenesis. Expensive process.Time consuming process. |
[90,92,96,100] |