Transient production of CD157-positive vascular endothelial stem-like cells during human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial maturation.

In mouse models, CD157+ endothelial cells (ECs) have been shown to maintain an undifferentiated state and promote vascular regeneration following transplantation. However, demonstrating the existence and functional relevance of these populations in human tissues remains challenging. Here, we present our protocol for differentiating human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into CD157+ ECs by highlighting the morphogenic changes observed in cultured cells and their surface phenotype when harvested step-by-step. Notably, CD157+ cells exhibited stem-like characteristics expressing the apelin receptor. This protocol provides a fast methodology to generate endothelial stem-like cells and in vitro models to study EC development.