This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 28/9/1584    most recent ATVBAHA.107.155960v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hirschi, K. K. Articles by Yoder, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hirschi, K. K. Articles by Yoder, M. C. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Stem Cells

(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2008;28:1584.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Brief Reviews

Assessing Identity, Phenotype, and Fate of Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Karen K. Hirschi; David A. Ingram; Mervin C. Yoder

From the Departments of Pediatrics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology (K.K.H.), Center for Cell & Gene Therapy and Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; and the Department of Pediatrics (D.A.I., M.C.Y.), Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.

Correspondence to Karen K. Hirschi, Departments of Pediatrics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Cell & Gene Therapy and Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail khirschi@bcm.tmc.edu

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
From the paradigm shifting observations of Harvey, Malpighi, and van Leeuwenhoek, blood vessels have become recognized as distinct and dynamic tissue entities that merge with the heart to form a closed circulatory system.¹ Vessel structures are comprised predominantly of a luminal layer of endothelial cells that is surrounded by some form of basement membrane, and mural cells (pericytes or vascular smooth muscle cells) that make up the vessel wall. In larger more complex vessel structures the vessel wall is composed of a complex interwoven matrix with nerve components. Understanding the cellular and molecular basis for the formation, remodeling, repair, and regeneration of the vasculature have been and continue to be popular areas for investigation.

The endothelium has become a particularly scrutinized cell population with the recognition that these cells may play important roles in maintaining vascular homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases.² Although it has been known for several decades that some shed or extruded endothelial cells enter the circulation as apparent contaminants in the human blood stream,³ only more recent technologies have permitted the identification of not only senescent sloughed endothelial cells,⁴ but also endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which have been purported to represent a normal component of the formed elements of circulating blood⁵ and play roles in disease pathogenesis.^6–9 Most citations refer to an article published in 1997 in which Asahara and colleagues isolated, characterized, and examined the in vivo function of putative EPCs from human peripheral blood as a major impetus for generating . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. J. Wu, R. G. Midwinter, C. Cassano, K. Beck, Y. Wang, D. Changsiri, J. R. Gamble, and R. Stocker Heme Oxygenase-1 Increases Endothelial Progenitor Cells Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, October 1, 2009; 29(10): 1537 - 1542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Toutain, C. Filipe, A. Billon, C. Fontaine, L. Brouchet, J.-C. Guery, P. Gourdy, J.-F. Arnal, and F. Lenfant Estrogen Receptor {alpha} Expression in Both Endothelium and Hematopoietic Cells Is Required for the Accelerative Effect of Estradiol on Reendothelialization Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, October 1, 2009; 29(10): 1543 - 1550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Hla Plugging Vascular Leak by Sphingosine Kinase From Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells Circ. Res., September 25, 2009; 105(7): 614 - 616. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Borghesi, M. Massa, R. Campanelli, L. Bollani, C. Tzialla, T. A. Figar, G. Ferrari, E. Bonetti, G. Chiesa, A. de Silvestri, et al. Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Preterm Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 15, 2009; 180(6): 540 - 546. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Yoder Platelet MPs obscure some EPC definitions Blood, July 16, 2009; 114(3): 495 - 496. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Prokopi, G. Pula, U. Mayr, C. Devue, J. Gallagher, Q. Xiao, C. M. Boulanger, N. Westwood, C. Urbich, J. Willeit, et al. Proteomic analysis reveals presence of platelet microparticles in endothelial progenitor cell cultures Blood, July 16, 2009; 114(3): 723 - 732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Hibbert, X. Ma, A. Pourdjabbar, E. Holm, K. Rayner, Y.-X. Chen, J. Sun, L. Filion, and E. R. O'Brien Inhibition of endothelial progenitor cell glycogen synthase kinase-3{beta} results in attenuated neointima formation and enhanced re-endothelialization after arterial injury Cardiovasc Res, July 1, 2009; 83(1): 16 - 23. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Reinisch, N. A. Hofmann, A. C. Obenauf, K. Kashofer, E. Rohde, K. Schallmoser, K. Flicker, G. Lanzer, W. Linkesch, M. R. Speicher, et al. Humanized large-scale expanded endothelial colony-forming cells function in vitro and in vivo Blood, June 25, 2009; 113(26): 6716 - 6725. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Morello, A. Perino, and E. Hirsch Phosphoinositide 3-kinase signalling in the vascular system Cardiovasc Res, May 1, 2009; 82(2): 261 - 271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Mouquet, F. Cuilleret, S. Susen, K. Sautiere, P. Marboeuf, P. V. Ennezat, E. McFadden, P. Pigny, F. Richard, B. Hennache, et al. Metabolic syndrome and collateral vessel formation in patients with documented occluded coronary arteries: association with hyperglycaemia, insulin-resistance, adiponectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 Eur. Heart J., April 1, 2009; 30(7): 840 - 849. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Distasi, J. Case, M. A. Ziegler, M. C. Dinauer, M. C. Yoder, L. S. Haneline, M. C. Dalsing, S. J. Miller, C. A. Labarrere, M. P. Murphy, et al. Suppressed hindlimb perfusion in Rac2-/- and Nox2-/- mice does not result from impaired collateral growth Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2009; 296(3): H877 - H886. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Zampetaki and Q. Xu Vascular Remodeling in Diabetes: Don't Leave Without Your STAT5 Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, January 1, 2009; 29(1): 10 - 11. [Full Text] [PDF]