Review article: endothelial progenitor cells in renal disease

This brief overview is intended to provide basic information about endothelial progenitors, their definition and consensus markers used for their detection, describe the pathways of their mobilization and homing and highlight the mechanisms and manifestations of their incompetence that occurs in some chronic kidney diseases. Discussion is geared towards the potential role of endothelial progenitor cells in organ regeneration, in particular, in kidney regeneration. The concept we attempted to promote attributes to the incompetence of endothelial progenitor cells in failed regeneration and ensuing progression of chronic kidney disease. This field of inquiry remains insufficiently explored, especially in renal diseases. Promising areas for future exploration are emphasized.