Cellular and molecular basis of the imbalance between vascular damage and repair in ageing and age-related diseases: As biomarkers and targets for new treatments

Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that specific subsets of cells isolated from the peripheral blood, play an essential role in the imbalance of damage and repair during age-associated diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer. Endogenous regeneration of the vessel wall involves cells of the vascular wall, inflammatory cells, circulating precursors, and mature endothelial cells, which are capable to restore the endothelium in a concerted interaction. Early detection of such imbalances with specific biomarkers may reduce age-associated diseases and subsequent cardiovascular events. Likewise, new strategies have the potentiality of acting selectively on these cell populations and co-temporally mediate the stimulation of the function and number of those cell populations with regenerative action on the vessel, and inhibit those able to evocate vascular damage. These strategies may be an alternative innovative way with superior and more efficacy biological effects than conventional attempts used for treating actually vascular diseases, characterizing those co-morbidities related to ageing.