Induction of vascular progenitor cells from endothelial cells stimulates coronary collateral growth.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

A well-developed coronary collateral circulation improves the morbidity and mortality of patients following an acute coronary occlusion. Although regenerative medicine has great potential in stimulating vascular growth in the heart, to date there have been mixed results, and the ideal cell type for this therapy has not been resolved.

Objective

To generate induced vascular progenitor cells (iVPCs) from endothelial cells, which can differentiate into vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) or endothelial cells (ECs), and test their capability to stimulate coronary collateral growth.

Methods and results

We reprogrammed rat ECs with the transcription factors Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and c-Myc. A population of reprogrammed cells was derived that expressed pluripotent marke

SUBMITTER: Yin L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3974272 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature