title: Embryonic vasculogenesis and hematopoietic specification.
abstract: Vasculogenesis is the process by which blood vessels are formed de novo. In mammals, vasculogenesis occurs in parallel with hematopoiesis, the formation of blood cells. Thus, it is debated whether vascular endothelial cells and blood cells are derived from a common progenitor. Whether or not this is the case, there certainly is commonality among regulatory factors that control the differentiation and differentiated function of both cell lineages. VEGF is a major regulator of both cell types and plays a critical role, in coordination with other signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators, in controlling the differentiation and behavior of endothelial and blood cells during early embryonic development, as further discussed herein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Molecular and Cellular Biology; Children's Nutrition Research Center; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy; Baylor College of Medicine; Houston, Texas USA.
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Goldie
authors.forename: Melissa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nix
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hirschi