title: Gene modification with integrin-linked kinase improves function of endothelial progenitor cells in pre-eclampsia in vitro.
abstract: Integrin-linked kinase (ILK), a multifunctional serine-threonine protein kinase, has been shown to have implications for the treatment of ischemia vascular diseases by promoting angiogenesis in various tissues. However, whether this kinase has therapeutic potential in pre-eclampsia is not well studied. In this report, we determined the changes in the production and action of ILK on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) isolated from patients with pre-eclampsia. The effects of ILK transfection on proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of EPCs were investigated. We showed that EPCs transfected with the ILK gene expressed high levels of ILK protein and mRNA. Transfection with ILK also enhanced the proliferative, migratory, and angiogenic capabilities of EPCs, and promoted the production of VEGF. These results suggest that ILK gene transfection is an effective approach to augment angiogenic properties of EPCs in vitro and providing basis for clinical cell-based gene therapy in patients with pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014162:Transfection; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK
chemical_list: D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK