Progress of Endothelial Progenitor Cells

The first description of endothelial progenitor cells in 1997 rapidly lead to substantial changes in our understanding of angiogenesis.In the subsequent 10 years researchers have investigated methods of inducing,isolating and culturing endothelial progenitor cells,as well as identification and differentiation,resulting in endothelial progenitor cells emerging as a promising candidate for treating ischemic heart disease.Studies have shown that the introduction of endothelial progenitor cells can restore tissue vascularization,as well as target tumor growth.This review examines the general features and functions of endothelial progenitor cells currently being investigated,and includes some perspectives on the future of endothelial progenitor cell therapy.