Researchers have made a significant discovery that could change the way we treat diseases related to blood vessels.
They’ve identified a protein marker that can pinpoint special cells capable of repairing damaged blood vessels.
This finding is crucial because it can lead to new treatments for endothelial dysfunction, a condition that plays a role in coronary artery disease.
This disease can cause blockages in the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart and potentially leading to heart attacks.
The research, detailed in the journal Circulation, was spearheaded by Chang-Hyun Gil, Ph.D., an assistant research professor of surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Dr. Gil explained, “This study is the first to establish that a single, prospective marker identifies vascular clonal repopulating endothelial cells (CRECs).” These cells are particularly promising for developing cell therapies to repair vessels damaged by heart disease or other conditions.
Endothelial cells form the inner lining of our blood vessels and are crucial for maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. The team focused on endothelial cells that produce a protein called ABCG2.
They discovered that these cells have the ability to cluster into colonies, renew themselves, and help form new blood vessels. This capability is vital for repairing heart tissue and blood vessels following a heart attack.
Dr. Gil and his team dove deeper into the biology of these cells, analyzing the genes and proteins that direct their behavior.
They found that the pathways involved in blood vessel formation and tissue regeneration are particularly active in cells expressing ABCG2, suggesting these cells are uniquely equipped for repairing vascular damage.
The significance of these cells extends beyond heart disease. “AbcCRECs are becoming an important cell type to be considered for use in human patients suffering from a variety of diseases such as peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, diabetic proliferative retinopathy, acute kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Gil noted.
An important aspect of this discovery is that the protein marker works in identifying these cells in both mice and humans.
Mervin C. Yoder, MD, a distinguished professor emeritus at the IU School of Medicine and a professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, emphasized the rarity and importance of this finding.
“Few markers have been found that permit prospective isolation of endothelial cells with reparative properties in both mice and humans, making these findings exciting for future study.”
The research team has been studying these types of endothelial cells for over seven years. While their findings are promising, more research is necessary to fully understand how these cells function and how they can be used to treat vascular damage effectively.
Further experiments and clinical trials are essential to confirm the therapeutic potential of AbcCRECs and to figure out the best ways to use these cells in patient treatment.
This research marks a hopeful step towards innovative therapies that could help millions of people suffering from vascular diseases.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
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The research findings can be found in Circulation.
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