Post-natal endothelial progenitor cells for neovascularization in tissue regeneration

The isolation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) was an outstanding event in the recognition of 'de novo vessel formation' in adults occurring as physiological and pathological responses. The finding that EPCs home to sites of neovascularization and differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs) in situ is consistent with 'vasculogenesis', a critical paradigm well described for embryonic neovascularization, but proposed recently in adults in which a reservoir of stem or progenitor cells contributes to vascular organogenesis. EPCs have also been considered as therapeutic agents to supply the potent origin of neovascularization under pathological conditions. This review provides an update of EPC biology as well as highlighting their potential use for therapeutic regeneration.