Promoting vascular regeneration as an alternative to conventional angioplasty-based intervention.

Technologies in interventional Cardiology have evolved from balloon to mechanical ablation, atherectomy, stenting, and brachytherapy to current drug eluting interventional strategies. New challenges are to develop techniques that not only prevent restenosis, but also promote vascular and endothelial healing after (balloon) injury. Endothelial healing approaches range from preventing endothelial injury to restoring endothelial function and reendothelialization by pharmacotherapy and cell therapy. These novel healing strategies warrant further exploration as they may represent an alternative to drug-eluting stent approaches.