The forgotten player of in-stent restenosis: endothelial dysfunction.

Reduced coronary endothelium-dependent vasodilation may play a role in the pathophysiology of in-stent restenosis. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction may cause to progression of athetrosclerosis in coronary arteries in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, especially stent deployment. We believe that the agents improving endothelial dysfunction and healing-enhanced stents, namely vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-eluting stents, estradiol-eluting stents and stents attracting endothelial cells, might take an important role in the prevention of stent restenosis strategies in the near future.