Wnt1 is a proangiogenic molecule, enhances human endothelial progenitor function, and increases blood flow to ischemic limbs in a HGF-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPCs) participate in neovascularization of ischemic tissues. Function and number of hEPCs decline in patients with cardiovascular disease, and therapeutic strategies to enhance hEPC function remain an important field of investigation. The Wnt signaling system, comprising 19 lipophilic proteins, regulates vascular patterning in the developing embryo. However, the effects of Wnts on hEPCs and the adult vasculature remain unclear. We demonstrate here that Wnt1 is expressed in a subset of endothelial cells lining the murine embryonic dorsal aorta and is reactivated in malignant angiosarcoma, suggesting a strong association of Wnt1 with angiogenesis. We investigate the effects of Wnt1 in enhancing hEPC function and blood flow to ischemic tissues and show tha

SUBMITTER: Gherghe CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3219217 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature