Treatment of tumors by ablating bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells
This invention provides methods of treating tumors and other conditions characterized by abnormal neoangiogenesis by inhibiting bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells.
1. A method of inhibiting tumor growth in a subject, comprising isolating Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) from the subject, conjugating to the isolated EPCs a cancer therapeutic agent, and implanting the conjugated cells to the subject, wherein the EPCs are VE-cadherin + VEGFR2 + CD31 low Endoglin + Prominin I/AC 133 + CXCR4 + VLA4 + c-kit + .
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the EPCs are isolated from the subject by flow-cytometry-based cell sorting, magnetic cell sorting, and/or antibody panning.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the EPCs are isolated from the bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood of the subject.
4. A composition of substantially purified population of human EPCs, wherein the EPCs are isolated from the bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood of a subject, and wherein a cancer therapeutic agent is conjugated to the EPCs and the EPCs are VE-cadherin + VEGFR2 + CD31 low Endoglin + Prominin I/AC 133 + CXCR4 + VLA4 + c-kit + .
5. A method of inhibiting progression of micro-metastases to macro-metastases in a subject, comprising implanting autologous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) conjugated to an anti-cancer therapeutic agent to the subject, wherein the EPCs are VE-cadherin + VEGFR2 + Endoglin + Prominin I/AC 133 + CXCR4 + VLA4 + c-kit + .
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) are isolated from the subject, conjugated to a cancer therapeutic agent and the conjugated cells are implanted to the subject.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the EPCs are isolated from the subject by flow-cytometry-based cell sorting, magnetic cell sorting, and/or antibody panning.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the EPCs are isolated from the bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood of the subject.