Proteomic Signature of Dysfunctional Circulating Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells of Young Adults

Recent advances in endothelial colony-forming cells: from the transcriptomic perspective

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are progenitors of endothelial cells with significant proliferative and angiogenic ability. ECFCs are a promising treatment option for various diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and peripheral artery disease. However, some barriers hinder the clinical application of ECFC therapeutics. One of the current obstacles is that ECFCs are dysfunctional due to the underlying disease states. ECFCs exhibit dysfunctional phenotypes in pathologic states, which include but are not limited to the following: premature neonates and pregnancy-related diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancers, haematological system diseases, hypoxia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, coronary artery diseases, and other vascular diseases. Besides, ECFCs are heterogeneous among donors, tissue sources, and within cell subpopulations. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ECFC dysfunction and characterize their heterogeneity to enable clinical application. In this review, we summarize the current and potential application of transcriptomic analysis in the field of ECFC biology. Transcriptomic analysis is a powerful tool for exploring the key molecules and pathways involved in health and disease and can be used to characterize ECFC heterogeneity.

Cardioproteomics: Insights on Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a global health challenge and are the leading cause of deaths worldwide. Proteomics has emerged as a valuable tool for unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms underlying CVDs, offering insights into biomarker discovery, drug targets, and personalized medicine. This review explores key breakthroughs in proteomic applications related to CVDs, mainly coronary artery disease (CAD), ischemic heart diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI), and cardiomyopathies. Notable findings include potential biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and insights into disease pathogenesis. The review highlights the importance of proteomics in advancing our understanding of CVDs and shaping future therapeutic approaches.

Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine Mediates the Development and Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy

BACKGROUNDS

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most severe microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been found to play an important role in many diseases, but its role and mechanism in DR remain unknown.

METHODS

We studied the role of SPARC and integrin β1 in vascular pathophysiology and identified potential therapeutic translation. The SPARC levels were tested in human serum and vitreous by ELISA assay, and then the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset was used to understand the key role of the target gene in DR. In human retinal capillary endothelial cells (HRCECs), we analyzed the mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The cell apoptosis, cell viability, and angiogenesis were analyzed by flow cytometry, CCK-8, and tube formation.

RESULTS

In this study, we investigated the role of SPARC in the development and progression of human DR and high glucose-induced HRCEC cells and found that the SPARC-ITGB1 signaling pathway mimics early molecular and advanced neurovascular pathophysiology complications of DR. The result revealed that DR patients have a high-level SPARC expression in serum and vitreous. Knockdown of SPARC could decrease the expressions of inflammatory factors and VEGFR, inhibit cell apoptosis and angiogenesis, and increase cell viability by regulating integrin β1 in HRCECs.

CONCLUSION

SPARC promotes diabetic retinopathy via the regulation of integrin β1. The results of this study can provide a potential therapeutic application for the treatment of DR.