title: The role of circulating precursors in vascular repair and lesion formation.
abstract: The accumulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) plays a principal role in atherogenesis, post-angioplasty restenosis and transplantation-associated vasculopathy. Therefore, much effort has been expended in targeting the migration and proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells to prevent occlusive vascular remodeling. Recent evidence suggests that bone marrow-derived circulating precursors can also give rise to endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells that contribute to vascular repair, remodeling, and lesion formation under physiological and pathological conditions. This article overviews recent findings on circulating vascular progenitor cells and describes potential therapeutic strategies that target these cells to treat occlusive vascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. msata-circ@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: Daiju
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Kimie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Hisako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yashiro
authors.forename: Ibuki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular; D006801:Humans; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*