Method for identifying and purifying smooth muscle progenitor cells

摘要

The present invention relates to purified smooth muscle progenitor cells and a method for isolating such cells. The purified smooth muscle progenitor cells of the present invention are capable of being induced into the smooth muscle cell lineage at high efficacy (i.e. greater than 60% conversion). The method comprises the steps of transforming cell populations that contain totipotent or pluripotent cells with DNA constructs that are expressed only in the smooth muscle cell lineage, inducing a portion of those cells and identifying those cells that express the construct only after the cells are induced.