title: Strategies to reverse endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction in diabetes.
abstract: Bone-marrow-derived cells-mediated postnatal vasculogenesis has been reported as the main responsible for the regulation of vascular homeostasis in adults. Since their discovery, endothelial progenitor cells have been depicted as mediators of postnatal vasculogenesis for their peculiar phenotype (partially staminal and partially endothelial), their ability to differentiate in endothelial cell line and to be incorporated into the vessels wall during ischemia/damage. Diabetes mellitus, a condition characterized by cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, and micro- and macroangiopathy, showed a dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells. Herein, we review the mechanisms involved in diabetes-related dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells, highlighting how hyperglycemia affects the different steps of endothelial progenitor cells lifetime (i.e., bone marrow mobilization, trafficking into the bloodstream, differentiation in endothelial cells, and homing in damaged tissues/organs). Finally, we review preclinical and clinical strategies that aim to revert diabetes-induced dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells as a means of finding new strategies to prevent diabetic complications.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Research Center (TRC), Nephrology Division, Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrelli
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Fenza
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carvello
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Secchi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiorina
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*