Open AccessThe Role of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Vascular Repair after Arterial Injury and Atherosclerotic Plaque Development
Author(s) -
Briasoulis Alexandros,
Tousoulis Dimitris,
Antoniades Charalambos,
Papageorgiou Nikos,
Stefanadis Christodoulos
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
cardiovascular therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1755-5922
pISSN - 1755-5914
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-5922.2009.00131.x
Subject(s) - progenitor cell , medicine , bone marrow , haematopoiesis , endothelial stem cell , stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , pathology , cancer research , biology , in vitro , biochemistry
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are under investigation due to their association with vascular injury. In response to chemotactic stimuli they are mobilized from bone‐marrow and nonbone marrow sites, they migrate, adhere and home to the injured vessel. Numerous molecular and cellular pathways participate and converge to the EPCs mediated vascular repair. However, the exact phenotypic properties, modes of functions and effects in vascular diseases and particularly in atherosclerosis are under investigation. EPCs represent a heterogeneous group of cells in different stages of differentiation, from hematopoietic bone marrow progenitors to mature endothelial cells that participate in adult vascular repair under ischemic or apoptotic stimuli. This review aims to provide an integrative view of EPC‐mediated vascular repair.