Cell therapy of critical limb ischemia: A review of preclinical and clinical research in China

Abstract

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the advanced stage of peripheral artery diseases and is characterized by limb pain. Current available treatments for CLI include pharmacological agents, bypass surgery, and endovascular therapy. When these conventional therapies fail, some patients may eventually suffer from amputation because of long-term blood flow insufficiency to the affected extremity. Novel therapeutic approaches are emergently needed. At present, proangiogenic gene/protein therapies and stem cell-based proangiogenic therapies have been proposed, and the promising results have been reported. Gene-modified stem cells and pretreated stem cells have been evaluated in the animal models. Proper bioscaffolds are also used to increase the survival and engraftment of delivered stem cells. Here, we address the current situation of stem cell research for CLI in China.