TOOLS FOR ISOLATING AND FOLLOWING CARDIOVASCULAR PROGENITOR CELLS

摘要

The present invention provides new methods and tools for isolating pluripotent cardiovascular progenitors (MCPs), by transiently detecting the cell-surface expression of genes upregulated by Mespi. Cells obtained by the method and there uses in research and clinical settings are also part of the invention. Using genome wide transcriptional analysis, the inventors found upstream and downstream members of the Mespi signaling pathway, which form potential new targets for both therapy and for the identification of MCPs and differentiation of MCPs into cardiovascular cells. This invention provides novel and important insights into the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular specification and provides potential novel methods for dramatically increasing the number of cardiovascular cells for cellular therapy in humans.