Biomolecule modification of scaffolds in vascular regeneration

Vascular regeneration is thought to be crucial in the repair of damaged vessels as well as nonvascular tissues. A healthy endothelial layer provides homeostasis and prevents thrombosis in blood vessels. The variety of cells such as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and mature endothelial cells (ECs), are revealed to play an important role in forming an endothelial layer. There are a number of biomolecules that have been identified to be capable of attacting these cells to participate in vascular repair. In terms of these findings, alternative strategies through the biomolecule modification of scaffold have been recently established to enhance in situ endothelialization for vascular regeneration. This article mainly reviews current and developing biomolecules that can be immobilized onto biomaterial surfaces to acceleratein situ endothelialization for vascular repair, providing potentials in further discovering novel tissue engineering therapeutics for the treatment of human vascular diseases.