Endothelial Colony-forming Progenitor Cells: Identification, Isolation, Expansion and Potential Use for Regenerative Cell Therapy

Abstract

Regenerative medicine is an emerging therapeutic approach which is based on the clinical application of adult stem cells for the repair of organs after toxic, metabolic or ischemic organ injury. Upcoming therapeutic options in regenerative medicine will bring profound challenges for the field of transfusion medicine with regards to new technologies in cell or tissue manipulation and multidisciplinary clinical efforts. In cooperation with hematologists, the teams at trans­fusion medicine departments have been concerned with the identification, isolation and storage of hematopoietic progenitor cells for therapeutic application since more than 20 years. A crucial factor for the successful regeneration of organs after damage due to non-neoplastic reasons is the reconstitution of the functional vascular situation providing sufficient blood perfusion of the target tissues. For this reason clinical research has increasingly focused at circulating endothelial progenitor cells since 15 years. This short article introduces recent findings on “endo­thelial colony-forming progenitor cells (ECFC)” highlighting the role of central actors in post­natal neo-vasculogenesis. 

Zusammenfassung

Die „regenerative Medizin“ beschäftigt sich mit der Anwendung von adulten Stammzellen im menschlichen Organismus zur Reparatur von ischämisch, toxisch oder metabolisch geschädigten Geweben und Organen. Dieser innovative therapeutische Ansatz hat grundlegende Aus­wirkungen auf die Transfusionsmedizin. Gemeinsam mit den Hämatologen sind Transfusionsmediziner seit über 20 Jahren damit beschäftigt, hämatopoetische Stammzellen zu identifizieren, zu isolieren und zu lagern und entweder im autologen oder allogenen Setting therapeutisch einzusetzen. Bei der Anwendung adulter Stammzellen nicht hämatpoetischen Ursprungs für die Regeneration von nicht neoplastisch geschädigtem Gewebe ist die funktionsfähige Durchblutung des Zielgewebes ein wesentlicher Faktor. Daher sind die für Gefäßregeneration nötigen zirkulierenden endothelialen Progenitorzellen seit etwa 15 Jahren verstärkt im Fokus der klinischen Forschung. Dieser Kurzartikel stellt neue Erkenntnisse über „endotheliale, koloniebildenden Progenitorzellen“ als zentral involvierte Akteure der postnatalen Neovaskulogenese vor. 

Key words

circulating endothelial progenitor cells - regenerative medicine - endothelial colony-forming progenitor cells

Schlüsselwörter

zirkulierende endotheliale Progenitorzellen - regenerative Medizin - endotheliale koloniebildende Progenitorzellen

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