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Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Current Issues on Characterization and Challenging Clinical Applications

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Abstract

Since their discovery about a decade ago, endothelial precursor cells (EPC) have been subjected to intensive investigation. The vision to stimulate respectively suppress a key player of vasculogenesis opened a plethora of clinical applications. However, as research opened deeper insights into EPC biology, the enthusiasm of the pioneer era has been damped in favour of a more critical view. Recent research is focused on three major questions: The fact that the number of EPC in peripheral blood is exceedingly low has consistently raised suspicion whether these cells can plausibly have an impact on physiological or pathophysiological processes. Secondly, whereas the key role of EPC in tumourigenesis has been strongly emphasized by various groups in the past, recent publications are challenging this hypothesis. Thirdly, the lack of consensus on EPC-defining markers and standardized protocols for their detection have repeatedly led to difficulties concerning comparability between papers. In this current review, an overview on recent findings on EPC biology is given, their challenging clinical implications are discussed and the perplexity underlying the current controversial debate is illustrated.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the “Verein für Tumorforschung” and the Association of Experimental Chest Medicine, Austria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant, and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Thomas Resch & Johann Pratschke

  2. Department of Internal Medicine V, Hematology and Oncology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Andreas Pircher & Wolfgang Hilbe

  3. Pneumology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Thomas Resch & Christian M. Kähler

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  1. Thomas Resch
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Correspondence to Thomas Resch.

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Resch, T., Pircher, A., Kähler, C.M. et al. Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Current Issues on Characterization and Challenging Clinical Applications. Stem Cell Rev and Rep 8, 926–939 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-011-9332-9

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