Cardiomyocyte regeneration following angioblast-dependent neovascularization of ischemic myocardium

In the adult, new blood vessel formation can occur either through angiogenesis from pre-existing mature endothelium or vasculogenesis mediated by bone marrow-derived endothelial precursors. We recently isolated endothelial progenitor cells, or angioblasts, in human adult bone marrow, which have selective migratory properties for ischemic tissues, including myocardium, to where they home and induce vasculogenesis. Angioblast trafficking to the infarct zone enables development of progressively larger-sized capillaries. Here, we show that this results in sustained improvement in cardiac function by mechanisms involving induction of proliferation/regeneration of endogenous cardiomyocytes.