The Use of Endothelial Progenitor Cells for the Regeneration of Musculoskeletal and Neural Tissues

Abstract

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from bone marrow and blood can differentiate into endothelial cells and promote neovascularization. In addition, EPCs are a promising cell source for the repair of various types of vascularized tissues and have been used in animal experiments and clinical trials for tissue repair. In this review, we focused on the kinetics of endogenous EPCs during tissue repair and the application of EPCs or stem cell populations containing EPCs for tissue regeneration in musculoskeletal and neural tissues including the bone, skeletal muscle, ligaments, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. EPCs can be mobilized from bone marrow and recruited to injured tissue to contribute to neovascularization and tissue repair. In addition, EPCs or stem cell populations containing EPCs promote neovascularization and tissue repair through their differentiation to endothelial cells or tissue-specific cells, the upregulation of growth factors, and the induction and activation of endogenous stem cells. Human peripheral blood CD34(+) cells containing EPCs have been used in clinical trials of bone repair. Thus, EPCs are a promising cell source for the treatment of musculoskeletal and neural tissue injury.

Rhynchophylline Attenuates Senescence of Endothelial Progenitor Cells by Enhancing Autophagy

“…EPCs are not only derived from bone marrow, but also from spleen, vascular outer membrane, and even some endothelial cells themselves, moreover, they have different tendency to differentiate and repair tissues (Kamei et al, 2017;Rana et al, 2018). Even so, bone marrow-derived EPCs are still the main source of EPCs in the peripheral circulation.…”

Endothelium-dependent molecular mechanisms of articular cartilage and subchondral bone remodeling in conditions of cardiovascular comorbidity

“…Связываясь с рецептором VEGFR-2 фактор роста эндотелия сосудов стимулирует пролиферацию и миграцию эндотелиоцитов, повышает сосудистую проницаемость [10]. Аногенный эффект VEGF-A заключается в пролиферации CD34 + эндотелиальных клеток-предшественников [11]. В свою очередь CD34 + в физиологических условиях способствуют неоваскуляризации и стабилизации эндотелия через фосфатидил-инозитол-3-киназы (PI3K) -Akt-зависимую активацию эндотелиальной синтазы оксида азота (eNOS) [12].…”

Simvastatin vs. l-carnitine: an experimental study on optimizing nerve repair

“…Vascular network plays an important role in homeostasis, proliferation, and differentiation of somatic stem cells during development and regeneration of tissues (21). The secretion of NGFs by vascular endothelium and somatic stem cells alongside the SCs are critical in peripheral nerve healing (26).…”