Putative endothelial progenitor cells play a role in organ regeneration, and their
incompetence may be important in the development of chronic kidney disease. The
mechanisms of this incompetence are broad and range from poor mobilization, viability, and
engraftment to impaired differentiation into mature endothelial cells. By contrasting the role
of endothelial progenitor cells in tissue regeneration with their developing incompetence in
chronic kidney disease, we emphasize the importance of designing rational pharmacologic …