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Circulating endothelial cells in pathophysiology
Victor Emmanuel Brett1,2, Francoise Dignat George3,4, Chloe James1,2
1University of Bordeaux, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Biologie des maladies cardio-vasculaires, U1034.
Insights
Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are increasingly recognized as vital biomarkers for assessing the severity and progression of vascular diseases, including cardiovascular conditions and cancer. Advances in detection methods enhance their clinical utility for prognosis and treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Oncology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are increasingly recognized for their potential as sensitive indicators of vascular injury and disease.
- Elevated CEC counts are observed in various pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Approach:
- This review synthesizes recent research on the roles and importance of CECs in vascular-related diseases.
- It highlights advancements in standardized detection methods, such as flow cytometry, for isolating and quantifying CECs.
- The review also discusses the development of highly sensitive techniques for phenotyping rare cells.
Key Points:
- CECs serve as indicators of disease severity, progression, and prognosis in conditions like acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cancer.
- Increased CEC levels in cancer patients correlate with disease advancement, angiogenesis, and treatment response.
- Standardization of CEC detection and advanced isolation techniques are paving the way for clinical applications.
Conclusions:
- CECs are emerging biomarkers with significant clinical value for evaluating vascular injury.
- Further research into CECs can deepen our understanding of endothelial cell contributions to vascular disorders.
- The clinical application of CECs holds promise for improved disease management and patient outcomes.
Purpose Of Review:
The purpose of this review is to synthesize recent insights into the roles and importance of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) as indicators of the severity, progression, and prognosis of vascular-related diseases.
Recent Findings:
Recent studies have identified elevated counts of CECs in pathological conditions, notably inflammatory or cardiovascular diseases such as acute myocardial infarction and heart failure, underscoring their potential as sensitive indicators of disease. Furthermore, the rise in CEC levels in cancer patients, particularly with disease advancement, points to their role in cancer-associated angiogenesis and response to treatment.
Summary:
This review underscores the evolving significance of CECs as markers for evaluating the gravity and advancement of diseases with vascular injury, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammatory conditions, and thromboembolic events. These last years, efforts made to standardize flow cytometry detection of CEC and the development of highly sensitive techniques to isolate, quantify or phenotype rare cells open promising avenues for clinical application. This may yield extensive knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which endothelial cells contribute to a variety of vascular-related disorders and their clinical value as emerging biomarkers.
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