[Circulating endothelial progenitor cell and its application]

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have the capacity to proliferate, migrate, and differentiate into mature vessel endothelial cells, but have not yet expressed into the mature vessel endothelial cell type, and have not formed to be the precursor cell of the blood vessels. For those EPCs existed in the peripheral blood circulation in human, known as circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs), participating in the vascular neogenesis after born and repairing process after endothelial injury. It has become a hot spot of the research on the cardiovascular diseases and other involving endothelial injury. This article comprehensively describes the bio-characteristics of EPCs, the factors influencing the number and functions of EPCs, and the newest research progress in the actual applications of EPCs, providing the new thoughts and new approach for the diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.