Fig. 2.

Functional characterization of ECFCs and MSCs. The capacity of ECFCs to reproduce physiological functions of EC was evaluated in vitro by examination of (A) ability to self-assemble into capillary-like network on Matrigel; (B) ability to launch sprouts from endothelialized microcarriers embedded in fibrin gels in the presence of angiogenic factors; and (C) binding of leukocytes in response to an inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α). The multilinage differentiation ability of MSCs was evaluated in vitro by induction of (D) adipogenesis (oil red O staining revealed the presence of adipocytes); (E) osteogenesis (von Kossa staining revealed the presence of calcium mineralization); and (F) chondrogenesis (Alcian blue staining revealed he presence of glycosaminoglycans in pellet cultures). Insets depict MSCs culture in non-differentiating control media.