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Endothelial stem cells presence was demonstrated by Gerardo Rivera and Louis Gagné in 2005. Strong evidences for the presence of a heterogeneous population of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the sanguine circulation and in the endothelial population suggested the existence of endothelial stem cells. EPCs participate not only in maintaining the integrity and function of vascular endothelium but also in forming new blood vessels and they might play an important role in maintenance and regeneration of every organ of living organisms. Endothelial tissue is a dynamic structure in close contact with every organs of the body. The discovery of EPCs in tandem with emerging concepts in stem cell biology has generated interest and excitement in many fields such as medicine and tissue engineering.

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CD34+ endothelial cell among BAEC population.

The presence of endothelial CD34+ cells was observed in the aortic endothelial population. Their presence on treated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) proved that these cells could be isolated and used in-vitro. Stem cells characteristic spheroid structures were observed on PTFE surfaces enhancing endothelialisation. The surface of the PTFE films was treated with radiofrequency glow discharge ammonia plasma, conjugated with sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(N-maleidomethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (S-SMCC), and micropatterned with peptides sequences CGRGDS and CWQPPRARI, with the purpose of promoting the adhesion of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). Patterns were introduced with an aerosol micropatterning apparatus. Our results demonstrate the adhesion of BAECs on patterned PTFE that is to say we can promote endothelialisation of a synthetic surface with the new micropatterning technique and demonstrated the importance of endothelial stem cells during endothelialisation.

Our findings provide evidence suggesting that endothelial stem cells are present in the endothelium population. We are convinced that determining the promoter signaling of these endogenous endothelial stem cells will allow us to manipulate them with the objective of using them as future treatment in synthetic arterial prostheses and organogenesis.

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