Mechanoresponse of stem cells for vascular repair

Figure 1 In pathological status, several types of stem cells contribute to the process of vascular repair. Stem cells such as hemopoietic stem cells, MSCs, circulating EPCs (derived from bone marrow), and resident EPCs are able to sense the activation signals (such as altered shear stress, acute ischemic, and anoxic injury). Then they move to the sites of lesion, differentiate into ECs, produce paracrine signals such as VEGF, PDGF, and SCDF; these actions take part in the vessel regeneration. Importantly, the resident ECs can be activated to proliferation types with a high turnover rate. HSCs: Hemopoietic stem cells; MSCs: Mesenchymal stem cells; EPCs: Endothelial stem cells; ECs: Endothelial cells; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; PDGF: Platelet-derived growth factor; SCDF: Stromal cell-derived factor.