Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol

. 2022 Oct 10.

 doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0318PS. Online ahead of print. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36215049/

Pathological Roles for Endothelial Colony Forming Cells in Neonatal and Adult Lung Disease

Jason O Robertson ¹, Serpil C Erzurum ², Kewal Asosingh ³

Affiliations expand

• PMID: 36215049
• DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0318PS

Abstract

Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) are vascular resident and circulating endothelial cell subtypes with potent angiogenic capacity, a hierarchy of single-cell clonogenic potentials, and the ability to participate in de novo blood vessel formation and endothelial repair. Existing literature regarding ECFCs in neonatal and adult pulmonary diseases is confounded by study of ambiguously defined “endothelial progenitor cells,” which are often not true ECFCs. This review contrasts adult and fetal ECFCs, discusses the effect of prematurity on ECFCs, and examines their different pathological roles in neonatal and adult pulmonary diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, pulmonary artery hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Therapeutic potential is also discussed in light of available pre-clinical data.

Keywords: Endothelial colony forming cells; bronchopulmonary dysplasia; cogenital diaphragmatic hernia; pulmonary artery hypertension; pulmonary fibrosis.