The Endocardium and Heart Valves
- Bailey Dye1,2,3 and
- Joy Lincoln2,3
- 1Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
- 3Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Herma Heart Institute, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
- Correspondence: jlincoln{at}mcw.edu
Abstract
Endocardial cells are specialized endothelial cells that, during embryogenesis, form a lining on the inside of the developing heart, which is maintained throughout life. Endocardial cells are an essential source for several lineages of the cardiovascular system including coronary endothelium, endocardial cushion mesenchyme, cardiomyocytes, mural cells, fibroblasts, liver vasculature, adipocytes, and hematopoietic cells. Alterations in the differentiation programs that give rise to these lineages has detrimental effects, including premature lethality or significant structural malformations present at birth. Here, we will review the literature pertaining to the contribution of endocardial cells to valvular, and nonvalvular lineages and highlight critical pathways required for these processes. The lineage differentiation potential of embryonic, and possibly adult, endocardial cells has therapeutic potential in the regeneration of damaged cardiac tissue or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
