Prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic potential of endothelial progenitor cells for patients with ischaemic stroke: Hype or Hope

Ischaemic stroke is a debilitating disease with immense personal, societal and economic impact. Thrombolysis recombinant tissue plasminogen activator remains the only approved pharmacotherapy for this disease. As each year less than 1% of eligible patients receive therapy worldwide, efficacious new therapeutics are desperately needed. Emerging evidence suggest endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), capable repairing damaged vasculature, as one such therapeutics. However, questions regarding their optimal dose, delivery route in vivo survivability remain largely unanswered. Outgrowth cells, generated large numbers by ex expansion EPCs, enable effective assessment these issues may eventually serve off-the-shelf Correlations between circulating EPC levels outcome imply that EPCs also clinical biomarkers stroke. This viewpoint briefly evaluates current evidence, pinpoints gaps literature proposes directions research.