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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Isolation and Large Scale Expansion of Adult Human Endothelial Colony Forming Progenitor Cells
Published on: October 28, 2009
CD90 Identifies Adventitial Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells in Adult Human Medium- and Large-Sized Arteries
Katherine C Michelis1, Aya Nomura-Kitabayashi1, Laura Lecce1
1The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1030, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Researchers identified human adventitial CD90+ cells as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with a role in vascular disease. These cells, found in arteries, show potential links to atherosclerosis pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are thought to reside in the vascular adventitia.
- Characterization of these cells in human arteries and their pathological roles remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in human arteries.
- To investigate the potential role of these adventitial cells in vascular disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of healthy and diseased human arterial tissues.
- Immunophenotyping using markers like CD90, PDGFRα, CD44, CD73, and CD105.
- In vitro functional assays (adherence, morphology, differentiation) and transcriptomic profiling.
- Adoptive transfer experiments.
Main Results:
- A rare adventitial population expressing CD90 and MSC markers was identified.
- Human adventitial CD90+ cells met standard MSC criteria, demonstrating multipotency.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed a disease signature linked to atherosclerosis-associated gene networks.
Conclusions:
- Human adventitial CD90+ cells represent a distinct MSC population within arteries.
- These cells possess characteristics suggesting a role in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases like atherosclerosis.
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