APJ regulates the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of vascular endothelial stem cells

APJ signaling is critical for balancing VESC self-renewal and differentiation. APJ deficiency disrupts this balance, leading to impaired vascular regeneration in the liver due to delayed VESC differentiation. This defect is associated with altered transcriptional regulation, favoring a proliferative, undifferentiated state and extracellular matrix changes that weaken structural integrity. These findings highlight the apelin/APJ pathway as a potential therapeutic target to enhance vascular regeneration in regenerative medicine.