Sancricca C, Mirabella M, Gliubizzi C, Broccolini A, Gidaro T, Morosetti R. Vessel-associated stem cells from skeletal muscle: From biology to future uses in cell therapy. World J Stem Cells 2010; 2(3): 39-49 [PMID: 21607121 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v2.i3.39]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Roberta Morosetti, MD, Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. rmorosetti@rm.unicatt.it
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
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Cristina Sancricca, Massimiliano Mirabella, Carla Gliubizzi, Aldobrando Broccolini, Teresa Gidaro, Roberta Morosetti, Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Massimiliano Mirabella, Carla Gliubizzi, Aldobrando Broccolini, Roberta Morosetti, Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, 20148 Milan, Italy
Author contributions: Sancricca C and Mirabella M performed the studies on human mesoangioblasts, designed the paper, wrote and approved the final version of the manuscript; Gliubizzi C and Broccolini A performed the studies on human mesoangioblasts, edited the figures and approved the final version of the manuscript; Gidaro T performed the studies on human mesoangioblasts and approved the final version of the manuscript; Morosetti R performed the studies on human mesoangioblasts, conceived and designed the paper, wrote and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Roberta Morosetti, MD, Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. rmorosetti@rm.unicatt.it
Telephone: +39-6-30154303 Fax: +39-6-35501909
Received: March 15, 2010 Revised: May 18, 2010 Accepted: May 25, 2010 Published online: June 26, 2010
Abstract
Over the last years, the existence of different stem cells with myogenic potential has been widely investigated. Besides the classical skeletal muscle progenitors represented by satellite cells, numerous multipotent and embryologically unrelated progenitors with a potential role in muscle differentiation and repair have been identified. In order to conceive a therapeutic approach for degenerative muscle disorders, it is of primary importance to identify an ideal stem cell endowed with all the features for a possible use in vivo. Among all emerging populations, vessel-associated stem cells are a novel and promising class of multipotent progenitors of mesodermal origin and with high myogenic potential which seem to best fit all the requirements for a possible cell therapy. In vitro and in vivo
studies have already tested the effectiveness and safety of vessel-associated stem cells in animal models. This leads to the concrete possibility in the future to start pilot human clinical trials, hopefully opening the way to a turning point in the treatment of genetic and acquired muscle disorders.
