内皮祖细胞在血管损伤修复中的研究进展

Advances in endothelial progenitor cells in vascular injury repair

血管系统主要负责向体内细胞以及组织输送氧气和营养物质以满足机体各项生理功能正常发挥,同时带走代谢废物以维系微环境的稳态;因此,健康的血管系统对人体来说至关重要。当血管内皮受到损伤时,内皮祖细胞(EPCs)可分化为内皮细胞或通过旁分泌机制促进血管生成。EPCs的功能调控十分复杂,涉及多种信号通路,深入了解其调控机制有助于更好推动临床研究和应用。目前,国内外正开展EPCs移植或药物激活内源性EPCs治疗血管损伤的临床试验。本文就EPCs促内皮损伤修复的机制、功能调控以及临床治疗应用的研究进展作一综述。

The vascular system is mainly responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissues to ensure the normal development of the human body,while taking away metabolic waste to maintain the homeostasis of microenvironment.Thus,healthy vascular systems are essential to the human body.When vascular endothelium is damaged,endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)can differentiate into endothelial cells or promote angiogenesis through paracrine mechanisms.The functional regulation of EPCs is complex,involving a variety of signaling pathways.Understanding the regulatory mechanism is helpful for the clinical research and application.At present,EPCs are also used in clinic trial for vascular injury repairment by cell transplantation or endogenous activation with drugs.Here,the mechanism of EPCs promoting endothelial injury repair,the regulation of EPCs function and the clinical application of EPCs are reviewed.