Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Angiogenesis. 2019 Feb;22(1):3-13. doi: 10.1007/s10456-018-9639-0. Epub 2018 Aug 3.
Endothelial cells (ECs) have been found to be capable of acquiring a mesenchymal phenotype through a process known as endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). First seen in the developing embryo, EndMT can be triggered postnatally under certain pathological conditions. During this process, ECs dedifferentiate into mesenchymal stem-like cells (MSCs) and subsequently give rise to cell types belonging to the mesoderm lineage. As EndMT contributes to a multitude of diseases, pharmacological modulation of the signaling pathways underlying EndMT may prove to be effective as a therapeutic treatment. Additionally, EndMT in ECs could also be exploited to acquire multipotent MSCs, which can be readily re-differentiated into various distinct cell types. In this review, we will consider current models of EndMT, how manipulation of this process might improve treatment of clinically important pathologies and how it could be harnessed to advance regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
内皮细胞（ECs）被发现能够通过一种称为内皮细胞向间充质转化（EndMT）的过程获得间充质表型。EndMT 最初在发育中的胚胎中被发现，在某些病理条件下出生后也可以被触发。在此过程中，EC 去分化为间充质干细胞样细胞（MSCs），随后产生属于中胚层谱系的细胞类型。由于 EndMT 与多种疾病有关，因此药理学调节 EndMT 相关信号通路可能被证明是一种有效的治疗方法。此外，ECs 中的 EndMT 也可以被利用来获得多能性 MSCs，这些 MSCs 可以很容易地重新分化为各种不同的细胞类型。在这篇综述中，我们将考虑当前的 EndMT 模型，以及如何操纵这个过程来改善对临床重要病理的治疗，以及如何利用它来推进再生医学和组织工程。
