Endothelial progenitor cells and vasculogenesis, a review.

This review summarizes the biological features of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and speculates on the uses of EPCs for vascular and general medicine. The basis for this review is the finding that circulating EPCs may home to sites of neovascularization and differentiate into endothelial cells in situ, as was seen in a study where endothelial progenitor cells were isolated from peripheral blood, and were shown to be incorporated into foci of neovascularization.