Endothelial progenitor cells at the interface of chronic kidney disease: from biology to therapeutic advancement

The 'epidemic' diffusion of chronic kidney disease (CKD) needs the development of new therapeutic approaches to slow down the progression to end-stage renal disease. Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) are promising tools for the treatment of many human diseases as they promote the repair of damaged tissues. They were also suggested as therapy to repair renal tissue after an injury. Strategies using EPCs to induce a reparative process with functional restoring of a diseased kidney or to delay CKD are of two types: direct stem cells infusion or stimulating endogenous release of EPCs. Extensive and targeted controlled clinical trials should be encouraged by the data to date available from pre-clinical and clinical models of EPCs mobilization during CKD.