1. [Characterization of endothelial progenitor cells and putative strategies to improve their expansion].
- Author
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Smadja DM and Gaussem P
- Subjects
- Adult, Angiopoietin-2 physiology, Animals, Biomarkers, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 analysis, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 analysis, Cell Differentiation, Cell Lineage, Cells, Cultured cytology, Cells, Cultured drug effects, Chemokine CXCL12 pharmacology, Chemokine CXCL12 physiology, Humans, Interleukin-8 physiology, Ischemia surgery, Mice, Multipotent Stem Cells chemistry, Multipotent Stem Cells metabolism, Multipotent Stem Cells transplantation, Neovascularization, Physiologic, Peptide Fragments pharmacology, Receptor, PAR-1 drug effects, Receptors, CXCR drug effects, Receptors, CXCR physiology, Thrombin physiology, Endothelial Cells cytology, Multipotent Stem Cells cytology, Tissue Culture Techniques
- Abstract
Injection of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) expanded ex vivo has been shown to increase neovascularization in preclinical models of ischemia and in adult patients, but the precise origin and identity of the cell population responsible for these clinical benefits are controversial. Given the potential usefulness of EPC as a cell therapy product, their thorough characterization is of major importance. This review describes the two cell populations currently called EPC and the means to find differential phenotypic markers. We have shown that BMP2/4 are specific markers of late EPC and play a key role in EPC commitment and outgrowth during neovascularization. Several authors have attempted to expand EPC ex vivo in order to obtain a homogeneous cell therapy product. One possible mean of expanding EPC ex vivo is to activate the thrombin receptor PAR-1 with the specific peptide SFLLRN. Indeed, PAR-1 activation increases angiogenic properties of EPC through activation of SDF-1, angiopoietin and IL-8 pathways. This review summarizes the characterization of EPC and different methods of ex vivo expansion.
- Published
- 2009
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