Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Vascular endothelial cells form a lining — one cell thick — for all the blood vessels in the body, providing a critical interface between the vessel itself and blood-borne elements. From this location, the endothelium regulates a host of essential processes on both sides, by means of molecular signals expressed on its surface or released into the environment. In the normal state, vascular endothelium presents a nonadhesive surface to circulating leukocytes and platelets while helping to prevent the clotting of blood. In response to specific stimuli, however, the endothelium changes rapidly, providing signals that effectively orchestrate the recruitment of these . . .