DR. PAUL ALLEN FLEMING, PHARM.D.
Pharmacy at Medical Plaza Dr, Charleston, SC

2003013, Jul 17, 2003

Aug 22, 2002

10/227192

Christopher Drake - Isle of Palms SC, US
W. Argraves - Charleston SC, US
Paul Fleming - Charleston SC, US

Medical University of South Carolina

C12Q001/00, C12N005/08

435/004000, 435/366000

The invention provides a method of screening for agents that promote or inhibit vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. The screening methods comprise culturing mesodermal stem cells, for example, allantoic cells; contacting the mesodermal stem cells with the agent to be screened; detecting endothelial cells or endothelial stem cells in the culture; and comparing the endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened, with the endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in a control culture. An increase in endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened indicates an agent that promotes vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. A decrease in endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened indicates an agent that inhibits vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. The present invention also provides a method of screening for an agent that stabilizes vasculature or promotes remodeling of vasculature. The present invention further provides a method of screening for genes involved in promoting or inhibiting neovascularization (i.e., vasculogenesis and/or angiogenesis). The invention further provides methods of using the identified nucleic acids or agents to promote or inhibit vasculogenesis or angiogenesis in a tumor, tissue, organ, or graft. Also provided are methods of preventing and treating neovascular-dependent diseases using agents or nucleic acids identified by the screening methods of the invention. The invention further provides a method of determining whether stem cells of unknown endothelial cell potential can be promoted to differentiate into endothelial cell precursors.