Figure 1. Schematic of direct endothelial reprogramming. Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into iPSCs, which possess the full pluripotent state, and be differentiated into ECs with lineage-specific factors. In direct reprogramming, somatic cells can be transdifferentiated into ECs via two different processes: (a) transit through a plastic state or (b) direct conversion. In (a), brief exposure to reprogramming factors followed by conditioned media allows the somatic cells to be converted into ECs without achieving the pluripotency. In (b), introduction of endothelial lineage-specific transcription factors and small molecules allows the somatic cells into ECs.

EC = endothelial cell; iPSC = induced pluripotent stem cell.