Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Biology and Application in Ischemic Tissue Vascularization

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) have rapidly emerged as a potential novel therapeutic approach in ischemic diseases. After the initial characterization of putative bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells and their potential to promote neovascularization and to attenuate ischemic injury, a decade of intense preclinical research has led to the EPC-based clinical trials that have suggested their safety but with modest results. This review focuses on the role of endogenous and exogenous EPC therapy in promoting neovascularization in the ischemic settings to illustrate the future directions of EPC in therapeutic applications. We also reviewed clinical applications of EPC and potential strategies in improving EPC based therapeutics for ischemic tissue repair.