Smooth muscle stem cells

Abstract

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) originate from multiple types of progenitor cells. In the embryo, the most well studied SMC progenitor is the cardiac neural crest stem cell. Smooth muscle differentiation in the neural crest lineage is controlled by a combination of cell intrinsic factors, including Pax3, Tbx1, FoxC1, and serum response factor, interacting with various extrinsic factors in the local environment such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), Wnts, endothelin (ET)-1, and FGF8. Additional sources of multipotential cells that give rise to vascular SMCs in the embryo include proepicardial cells and possibly endothelial progenitor cells. In the adult, vascular SMCs must continually repair arterial injuries and maintain functional mass in response to changing demands upon the vessel wall. Recent evidence suggests that this is accomplished, in part, by recruiting multipotential vascular progenitors from bone marrow-derived stem cells as well as from less well defined sources within adult tissues themselves. This article will review our current understanding of the origins of vascular SMCs from multipotential stem and progenitor cells in developing as well as adult vasculature. Anat Rec Part A 276A: 22-33, 2004.

The serosal mesothelium is a major source of smooth muscle cells of the gut vasculature

“…In the limbs, body wall and extraembryonic tissues, vasculogenic mesenchyme is thought to arise from locally derived mesenchyme (Cleaver and Krieg, 1999;Gerhardt and Betsholtz, 2003;Hirschi and Majesky, 2004;Majesky, 2003;Saint-Jeannet et al, 1992). The present data, along with previous studies on coronary development, suggest that vasculogenic mesenchyme is 'delivered' to organs within the coelom via its encapsulating epithelium later in development.…”

“…One important question concerns the origin of cells that make up vessels. During blood vessel development in the embryonic trunk, body wall and limbs, as well as in extraembryonic tissues, endothelial tubes are thought to induce locally derived mesodermal mesenchyme to differentiate into smooth muscle and pericytes of the vessel wall (Cleaver and Krieg, 1999;Gerhardt and Betsholtz, 2003;Hirschi and Majesky, 2004;Majesky, 2003;Saint-Jeannet et al, 1992). This mechanism is generally accepted as the major form of blood vessel development in vertebrate embryos.…”

FGF2-dependent neovascularization of subcutaneous Matrigel plugs is initiated by bone marrow-derived pericytes and macrophages

“…The participation of these progenitors often gives the neovascularization process more of a vasculogenic than angiogenic flavor (Hirschi and Majesky, 2004;Tepper et al, 2005). As it frequently involves stimulation by combinations of factors not encountered during normal development, pathological neovascularization may not be a uniform stereotyped process.…”

Induction and modulation of smooth muscle differentiation in Xenopus embryonic cells

“…Neural crest cells (NCC) contribute to many distinct tissues during development and differentiate into SMCs in restricted regions of the cardiovascular system (Bergwerff et al, 1998;Etchevers et al 2001;Hirschi and Majesky, 2004). We, therefore, asked whether stage 17 Xenopus embryo explants containing NCC could differentiate in smooth muscle cells when isolated and cultured for different periods of time.…”