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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
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Directed Differentiation of Hemogenic Endothelial Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: March 31, 2021
Generation of functional hemangioblasts from human embryonic stem cells
Shi-Jiang Lu1, Qiang Feng, Sergio Caballero
1Advanced Cell Technology, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA.
Nature Methods
|May 9, 2007
Summary
Human embryonic stem cells can generate hemangioblasts, bipotential progenitors crucial for vascular repair. These cells differentiate into blood and vascular cells, showing therapeutic potential in disease models.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Vascular biology
- Hematopoiesis
Background:
- Adult progenitor cells can differentiate into vascular and hematopoietic lineages.
- Hemangioblasts are bipotential progenitors with this capability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient method for generating hemangioblasts from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of hESC-derived hemangioblasts in preclinical models of vascular injury and disease.
Main Methods:
- In vitro differentiation of hESCs to generate hemangioblasts.
- Characterization of hESC-derived hemangioblasts (hES-BCs) via gene expression.
- In vivo testing of hES-BCs in rodent models of diabetes, retinal ischemia, myocardial infarction, and hind limb ischemia.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated large numbers of bipotential hemangioblasts from hESCs.
- hES-BCs exhibited characteristic hemangioblast gene signatures and could be expanded and cryopreserved.
- Injected hES-BCs localized to injury sites, participated in vascular repair, reduced mortality, and restored blood flow in preclinical models.
Conclusions:
- hESC-derived hemangioblasts represent a promising cell source for regenerative medicine.
- hES-BCs demonstrate significant potential for vascular repair and treating ischemic conditions.
- This in vitro differentiation system provides a reproducible method for generating therapeutically relevant hemangioblasts.
Related Concept Videos
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
01:34Production of Formed Elements
Hemangioblasts are multipotent stem cells originating from the mesoderm. They give rise to hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which undergo hematopoiesis to produce all the formed elements of blood. This process is regulated by a complex network of hematopoietic growth factors, including transcription factors, growth factors, and cytokines. These factors stimulate the HSCs to divide and differentiate, though some HSCs remain undifferentiated to maintain a self-renewing pool.
Most HSCs commit to...
Most HSCs commit to...
01:21Hematopoiesis
The process of blood cell formation is called hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis starts early during development, on the seventh day of embryogenesis. This phase of hematopoiesis is called the primitive wave, wherein the extraembryonic yolk sac allows the production of erythroid cells and endothelial cells from a common precursor called hemangioblast. The erythroid cells provide oxygen to support the growth of the rapidly dividing embryo. Hemangioblasts later develop into hematopoietic stem cells or...
01:19Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...