Semin Thromb Hemost 2007; 33(2): 159-164
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-969029
Copyright © 2007 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Platelets and Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 in Progenitor Cell Recruitment

Konstantinos Stellos1 , Meinrad Gawaz1
  • 1Medizinische Klinik III, Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Publication History

Publication Date:
06 March 2007 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a CXC chemokine that binds to its sole counterreceptor, CXCR4. It is well reported that the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway is of vital importance to human development and to various pathophysiological phenomena, including hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, cancer growth, metastasis, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. SDF-1 promotes mobilization of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to the circulation in response to vascular injury. Recently, we found that platelets express and release SDF-1 into the microcirculation upon activation and we observed that platelet-derived SDF-1 is functionally involved in recruitment of EPCs to arterial thrombi in vivo. This review discusses the unique functions of this chemokine and the newly discovered impact of platelet-derived SDF-1 into the recruitment of progenitor cells to vascular injury areas, and its subsequent effects in atherosclerosis, vascular repair, and angiogenesis.

REFERENCES

Meinrad GawazM.D. 

Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen

Otfried-Müller Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

Email: meinrad.gawaz@med.uni-tuebingen.de