Human endothelial colony-forming cells serve as trophic mediators for mesenchymal stem cell engraftment via paracrine signaling

Significance Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) circulate in peripheral blood and contribute to the formation of new vasculature. Here, we demonstrate that ECFCs can also function as paracrine mediators prior to the establishment of blood perfusion, modulating the regenerative potential of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We show that MSCs are highly dependable on platelet-derived growth factor BB and that ECFCs provide critical...