Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Multipotent Vascular Progenitors of the Mesothelium Lineage Have Utility in Tissue Engineering and Repair

Abstract

Summary: In this report we describe a human pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular progenitor (MesoT) cell of the mesothelium lineage. MesoT cells are multipotent and generate smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and pericytes and self-assemble into vessel-like networks in vitro. MesoT cells transplanted into mechanically damaged neonatal mouse heart migrate into the injured tissue and contribute to nascent coronary vessels in the repair zone. When seeded onto decellularized vascular scaffolds, MesoT cells differentiate into the major vascular lineages and self-assemble into vasculature capable of supporting peripheral blood flow following transplantation. These findings demonstrate in vivo functionality and the potential utility of MesoT cells in vascular engineering applications. : Colunga et al. describe a multipotent vascular progenitor cell that contributes to neovascularization of damaged tissue and that efficiently populates vascular scaffolds and self-assembles into functional vessels. These findings open up new opportunities for the vascularization of diseased and damaged tissue and for surgical vessel replacement. Keywords: stem cells, mesothelium, vascular progenitor, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine