Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Am J Pathol. 2019 Mar;189(3):502-512. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.12.004. Epub 2019 Jan 14.
Endothelial cells are prevalent in our bodies and serve multiple functions. By lining the vasculature, they provide a barrier to tissues and facilitate the transport of molecules and cells. They also maintain hemostasis and modulate blood flow by reacting to chemokines and releasing signal molecules. Thus, endothelial dysfunction leads to a wide variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. In today's era of stem cell research, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs) have emerged for research and engineering purposes. They are not only tools for studying disease states but are also a crucial part of efforts to engineer vessel and organ grafts. As the techniques in cell culture, microfluidics, and personalized medicine concomitantly improve, the potential for iPSC-ECs is enormous. We review functions of endothelium in our bodies, the development and uses of iPSC-ECs, and the possible avenues to explore in the future.
内皮细胞在我们体内广泛存在，具有多种功能。它们排列在脉管系统中，为组织提供了一道屏障，并促进了分子和细胞的运输。它们还通过对趋化因子的反应和释放信号分子来维持止血和调节血流。因此，内皮功能障碍会导致多种疾病，包括动脉粥样硬化和冠状动脉疾病。在当今的干细胞研究时代，诱导多能干细胞衍生的内皮细胞（iPSC-ECs）已经出现，用于研究和工程目的。它们不仅是研究疾病状态的工具，也是工程血管和器官移植物的重要组成部分。随着细胞培养、微流控和个性化医学技术的同步提高，iPSC-ECs 的潜力是巨大的。我们回顾了内皮细胞在我们体内的功能、iPSC-ECs 的发展和用途，以及未来可能探索的途径。
