SCREENING METHOD

摘要

Disclosed are: the identification of a molecule which can be expressed specifically in an endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) and can influence on the differentiation/proliferation of an EPC, the recruitment of an EPC into a peripheral blood or the like; a method for the screening of a modulator for the molecule; a means for the prevention/treatment of a disease associated with the dysfunction of an EPC by using the modulator; a method for the selection/quantification of an EPC by employing the molecule as an indicator; and a method for the diagnosis of an EPC-related disease. Specifically disclosed are: a method for the screening of a substance capable of modulating the differentiation/proliferation of an EPC or increasing the quantity of an EPC in a peripheral blood, which is characterized by using GPR120 or a partial peptide thereof or a cell capable of producing the protein or the partial peptide thereof; and a method for determining the quantity of an EPC in a cell-containing sample collected from a mammal, which is characterized by measuring GPR120 protein or the expression of a gene for GPR120 protein in the sample.