Title:The Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) and Tissue Regeneration
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
Author(s): Wenjing Yu, Zhen Liu, Shu An, Jinyi Zhao, Lan Xiao, Yongchao Gou, Yunfeng Lin and Jun Wang
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), EndMTtransformed
cells, tissue regeneration, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β).
Abstract: Recent studies have brought endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) as a special perspective of epithelial-
mesenchymal transition (EMT) into eyes. Traditionally, EndMT is considered as a source for fibroblasts and myofibroblasts,
and it is extensively investigated in physiologic cardiac development as well as in pathologic tumor and fibrosis.
Recently, new studies have found that EndMT-transformed cells had ‘stemness’, which means they could differentiate
into chondroblasts, osteoblasts, and adipoblasts in differential culture, respectively. This gives EndMT a bright application
future in tissue engineering and regeneration, especially for the formation of cartilage and bone.
