Idermfiration and Charactetizaiion of Bone Marrow-derived Vascular Progenitor Cells

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Exuberant accumulation of smooth muscle cells plays a principal role in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. It has been assumed that smooth muscle cells derived from the adjacent medial layer migrate, proliferate and synthesize extra cellular matrix. Although much effort has been devoted, targeting migration and proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells, no effective therapy to prevent occlusive vascular remodeling has been established. Recently, we reported that bone marrow cells substantially contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, in models of post-angioplasty restenosis, graft vasculopathy and hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis. It was suggested that bone marrow cells may have the potential to give rise to vascular progenitor cells that home in the damaged vessels and differentiate into smooth muscle cells or endothelial cells, thereby contributing to vascular repair, remodeling, and lesion formation. Our findings may provide the basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies for vascular diseases, targeting mobilization, homing, differentiation and proliferation of circulating vascular progenitor cells. Putative vascular progenitor cells would be used to generate biological artificial arteries to treat patients with severe atherosclerosis.