Programmed Cell Death of Endothelial Cells in Ischemic Heart Disease: Mechanism and Potential Cell and Gene Therapeutic Prospects.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for over eight million deaths each year. IHD encompasses a spectrum of conditions, including atherosclerosis (AS), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Programmed cell death (PCD) of endothelial cells (ECs) plays a critical role in IHD pathogenesis, causing microvascular dysfunction, barrier disruption and exacerbation of cardiac injury. PCD involves different signaling pathways, but they are interconnected. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms underlying the various forms of PCD in ECs to develop therapeutic strategies for IHD. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms of PCD of ECs in IHD and provides comprehensive summary of potential cell and gene therapy therapeutic strategies for the treatment of IHD.