Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), also termed outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs), are a unique subpopulation of endothelial cells. Cells form confluent cobblestone-shaped monolayers and have high proliferative potential. This cell type directly incorporates into resident vasculature after transplantation.
Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) were obtained by seeding peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) onto collagen-coated wells and culturing them in complete EBM-2 medium supplemented with hEGF, VEGF, hFGF-B, R3-IGF-1, and FBS (10%).