Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences | Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

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Hemangioblast

A Lay Summary

To establish blood delivery in a developing embryo to various organs, it is necessary for the blood and its vessels to be formed simultaneously. A cell called the hemangioblast, found in the embryo is responsible for generating both the blood and its vessels. Thus, failure of hemangioblast regulation will disrupt further embryonic development. Hemangioblast research has important implications for health. If one can study the degree of hemangioblast activity by clinical tests, this could be an indication of the embryo’s well-being.

Regulation of hemangioblast activity can be a critical therapeutic target for angiogenesis (blood vessel growth) and the inhibition of angiogenesis. The growth of new blood vessels can be used to treat conditions of hypo-proliferation, including heart attack, stroke, and wound healing. Alternatively, the reduction of new blood vessel growth can be used to treat conditions of hyper-proliferation, such as diabetic retinopathy and cancer.

The general differentiation pathway of the hemangioblast is summarized as follows:

Acknowledgements

This review was prepared by the following graduate students in the Stem Cell Biology Class, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey: Nanda Muthusawmy, Yee-Shuan, Ryan Tourtellot (in alphabetical order).

Teaching Assistant: Marcelo Taborga

The review was edited by two stem cell biologists.