[Cord blood circulating endothelial progenitors: perspectives for clinical use in cardiovascular diseases]

The discovery of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in adult peripheral blood has opened up many exciting possibilities in vascular biology. Several studies have confirmed the existence of EPCs, as well as their bone marrow origin and their ability to integrate into vascular structures at sites of neoangiogenesis. EPCs appear to be naturally involved in the prevention of ischemia by participating directly in the vascularization process. Given their tropism for sites of neoangiogenesis, EPCs have clear therapeutic potential for treating ischemic diseases. If associated with other cell therapy products, they could improve tissue regeneration by promoting graft vascularization. However, the use of EPCs as a cell therapy product is limited by their rarity in peripheral blood. Cord blood contains many more EPCs, which are functional and can be expanded in culture. Their clinical use will require expansion in strictly controlled conditions and rigorous validation in preclinical models. EPCs could also serve as a quality markerforfrozen cord blood, showing the presence of non hematopoietic stem cells.