Application of genetic cell-lineage tracing technology to study cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes that threaten people's life. To investigate cells that are involved in disease development and tissue repair, various technologies have been introduced. Among these technologies, lineage tracing is a powerful tool to track the fate of cells in vivo, providing deep insights into cellular behavior and plasticity. In cardiac diseases, newly formed cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells are found from proliferation of local cells, while fibroblasts and macrophages are originated from diverse cell sources. Similarly, in response to vascular injury, various sources of cells including media smooth muscle cells, endothelium, resident progenitors and bone marrow cells are involved in lesion formation and/or vessel regeneration. In summary, current review summarizes the development of lineage tracing techniques and their utilizations in investigating roles of different cell types in cardiovascular diseases.