Abstract
On the Hunt for Vascular Endothelial Stem Cells
Highlights
In the inner blastocyst of early embryos are found pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential to turn into every type of cell in the adult animal
Such efforts have met with limited success. In this issue of PLOS Biology, Shentong Fang, Petri Salven, and colleagues have identified a population of cells that have all the characteristics expected of vascular endothelial stem cells (VESC), opening the way for a better understanding of these important cells
It was thought that hematopoietic stem cells, which produce immune cells and red blood cells, could produce cells that become vascular endothelial cells
Summary
In the inner blastocyst of early embryos are found pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential to turn into every type of cell in the adult animal. Much effort has been devoted toward isolating and characterizing the adult stem cells that give rise to the vascular endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels). Knowing how to identify these cells could make it possible to manipulate endothelial cell proliferation, which in turn could aid in the development of therapies to promote vascular repair or to prevent blood vessel growth within tumors.
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