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Endothelial progenitor cells and cerebral small vessel disease in APOE4 carriers
Arunima Kapoor, Shubir Dutt, Amy Nguyen, Trevor Lohman, Aimée Gaubert, John Paul M Alitin, Isabel J. Sible, Anisa J. Marshall et al.. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior, 2025-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
• APOE4 carriers exhibit cerebrovascular dysfunction. • Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) represent cell populations involved in facilitating vascular repair. • In APOE4 carriers, EPC colony count is associated with cerebral small vessel disease. • EPC colony count may indicate activation of mechanisms which protect cerebrovascular function in APOE4 carriers prior to the development of cognitive decline. APOE4 carriers at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease exhibit early cerebrovascular dysfunction, which may be triggered by endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) represent cell populations involved in promoting angiogenesis and facilitating vascular repair in response to injury. We examined whether elevated EPCs are associated with lower cerebral small vessel disease burden in APOE4 carriers prior to cognitive decline. Independently living older adults ( N = 109, mean age = 70.5 years; SD = 7.9; 34.9 % male) free of dementia or clinical stroke underwent brain MRI and venipuncture. Small vessel disease was determined using a validated scale. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume was determined using the lesion segmentation toolbox. PBMCs were cultured and EPCs were defined as number of colony forming units in vitro. Regression analysis revealed an association between average number of EPC colonies and lower small vessel disease load ( p = .026) and WMH volume ( p = .002), in APOE4 carriers. Findings suggest that EPC colony count may indicate activation of mechanisms which protect cerebrovascular function in APOE4 carriers prior to the development of cognitive decline.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Kapoor, A., Dutt, S., Nguyen, A., Lohman, T., Gaubert, A., Alitin, J. P. M., et al. (2025). Endothelial progenitor cells and cerebral small vessel disease in APOE4 carriers. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100378
Vancouver
Kapoor A, Dutt S, Nguyen A, Lohman T, Gaubert A, Alitin JPM, et al. Endothelial progenitor cells and cerebral small vessel disease in APOE4 carriers. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100378. PMID: 40034682.
BibTeX
@article{kapoor2025-40034682,
author = {Kapoor, Arunima and Dutt, Shubir and Nguyen, Amy and Lohman, Trevor and Gaubert, Aimée and Alitin, John Paul M and Sible, Isabel J. and Marshall, Anisa J. and others},
title = {{Endothelial progenitor cells and cerebral small vessel disease in APOE4 carriers}},
journal = {Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100378},
pmid = {40034682},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100378}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- • APOE4 carriers exhibit cerebrovascular dysfunction. • Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) represent cell populations involved in facilitating vascular repair. • In APOE4 carriers, EPC colony count is associated with cerebral small vessel disease. • EPC colony count may indicate activation of mechanisms which protect cerebrovascular function in APOE4 carriers prior to the development of cognitive decline.
- We examined whether elevated EPCs are associated with lower cerebral small vessel disease burden in APOE4 carriers prior to cognitive decline.
- Regression analysis revealed an association between average number of EPC colonies and lower small vessel disease load ( p = .026) and WMH volume ( p = .002), in APOE4 carriers.
- Findings suggest that EPC colony count may indicate activation of mechanisms which protect cerebrovascular function in APOE4 carriers prior to the development of cognitive decline.
Why it matters
In APOE4 carriers without dementia, having more endothelial progenitor cell colonies was associated with less cerebral small vessel disease. This is an association in a small group of older adults, so it does not show that boosting these cells would prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants109
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior: journal h-index 19 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 109 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Daniel A. Nation: h-index 41 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Southern California: institution h-index 1,521 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40034682) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100378
- PubMed: 40034682
- Original source →
- Free full text: Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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