Concise review: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells for vascular medicine
Takayuki Asahara1, Atsuhiko Kawamoto, Haruchika Masuda
1Department of Regenerative Medicine Science, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. asa777@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Insights
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) show promise in treating ischemia and cardiovascular diseases. Further research is needed for precise molecular characterization to enhance their therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cell Biology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have demonstrated efficacy in preclinical ischemia models.
- Clinical trials indicate EPC therapy is safe and feasible for critical limb ischemia and cardiovascular diseases.
- Unresolved issues in EPC molecular characterization hinder basic research and therapeutic application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the recent concepts in EPC identification (hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic).
- To define the role of circulating EPCs in postnatal neovascularization.
- To illustrate future directions for EPC therapeutic applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of EPC biology and research development.
- Analysis of circulating EPCs' role in neovascularization.
- Review of ongoing medical applications and clinical feedback.
Main Results:
- Recent concepts distinguish between hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic EPCs.
- Circulating EPCs play a defined role in postnatal neovascularization.
- Clinical applications for cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases are advancing.
Conclusions:
- Clarifying EPC molecular characterization is crucial for advancing basic research and clinical use.
- Understanding EPCs' role in neovascularization guides future therapeutic strategies.
- Ongoing clinical research and feedback are essential for refining EPC-based therapies.
Abstract:
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been isolated and shown to be effective in animal models of ischemia, and many groups involved in clinical trials have demonstrated that EPC therapy is safe and feasible for the treatment of critical limb ischemia and cardiovascular diseases. However, many issues in the field of EPC biology, especially in regards to the proper and unambiguous molecular characterization of these cells still remain unresolved, hampering not only basic research but also the effective therapeutic use and widespread application of these cells. In this review, we introduce the recent concept of EPC identification in terms of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic EPCs along with the development of EPC biology research. Furthermore, we define the role of circulating EPCs in postnatal neovascularization to illustrate the future direction of EPC therapeutic applications. Next, we review on-going medical applications of EPC for cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases, introduce the practical example of therapeutic application of EPCs to patients with ischemic disease, and discuss about the feedback of clinical researches.
