Trafficking of murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in health and vascular disease.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) possess the unique capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into various hematopoietic cell lineages. Here we summarize the processes that underlie their mobilization and directed migration from bone marrow into peripheral tissues and back to the bone marrow compartment. We specifically focus on the potential role of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) migration in vascular diseases and review data from recent studies on mice. A better understanding of the mechanisms that guide HSPCs to vascular tissues will be critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse cardiovascular diseases.