Abstract
Emerging evidences indicate that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) actively contribute
in regulating cardiovascular homeostasis, and interest is growing for possible future
diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the cardiovascular arena. In the present
clinically-oriented review, special attention was given to the clinical implications
of the potential of EPCs to test and strengthen the capacity of the organism to challenge
atherosclerosis, vascular remodelling and ischemia. Accumulating data suggest that
the vasculo-protective functions of EPCs may be used as cellular biomarkers for endothelial
damage, or may be pharmacologically modulated to enhance the body's defence to atherosclerosis.
Furthermore, biomedical engineering and cell transplantation open new scenarios to
reverse vascular and graft remodelling and achieve therapeutic angiogenesis in limb
and heart ischemia. However, a number of unsolved issues remain to be exploited, such
as the identification of the true identity of EPCs and a better characterization of
their role in vascular homeostasis under normal and pathologic conditions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 29, 2008
Accepted:
August 8,
2008
Received in revised form:
April 2,
2008
Received:
June 30,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
