A domestic research team has succeeded in developing a technology to produce vascular endothelial cells (MiEC) from human stem cells that do not trigger immune rejection. The study is drawing significant attention for bringing the field a step closer to a universal vascular cell therapy that can be implanted immediately in patients with vascular diseases such as angina and ischemic stroke.
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said on the 29th that a research team led by Professors Kim Hyo-su and Han Jeong-gyu of the Division of Cardiology at Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Kim Jong-il of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Seoul National University developed a technique to rapidly and efficiently induce vascular endothelial cells using human mesenchymal stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells are primitive cells that arise from a fertilized egg (embryo) formed by the union of a sperm and an egg and grow into about 220 types of human cells. The research team induced mesenchymal stem cells from human embryonic stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into various cells, such as bone, cartilage, and fat, and are used in tissue regeneration therapy.
The vascular endothelial cells targeted by the research team are the cells that make up the innermost lining of blood vessels and can be used to treat ischemic vascular diseases, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Ischemic vascular disease occurs when blood vessels narrow or become blocked, reducing blood supply to tissues. Angina and myocardial infarction are representative examples.
The team introduced ER71, a key gene that drives differentiation into vascular endothelial cells, into mesenchymal stem cells induced from human embryonic stem cells and applied optimal culture conditions. Although there have been many attempts to regenerate blood vessels with stem cells, the number of cells that can be obtained has been limited, and the complex manufacturing process posed challenges.
As a result of the experiments, the team succeeded in creating vascular endothelial cells that can be used without immune rejection. The vascular endothelial cells were directly induced from mesenchymal stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. The team said the cells have morphology, genes, and functions similar to conventional vascular endothelial cells while eliciting less immune rejection, making them usable as a universal cell therapy that anyone can receive.
The team said it demonstrated the therapeutic effect of stem cell–derived vascular endothelial cells in experimental animals with ischemic vascular disease. Currently, stent implantation, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and drug therapy only temporarily improve blood flow and do not fundamentally regenerate the damaged blood vessels themselves.
In particular, inducing vascular endothelial cells from stem cells usually requires a complex process combining multiple genes, but this study was evaluated as showing a major technological innovation in that it succeeded with just a single gene. Kim Hyo-su, who led the study, said, "This study is expected to change the paradigm of treating ischemic vascular diseases and serve as a catalyst for accelerating the commercialization of cell therapies."
This study was conducted with support from the Research-driven Hospital R&D Program promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). The results were published on Aug. in the international journal in the field of bio-materials, Biomaterials.
References
Biomaterials (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123606