[Biological characteristics and safety evaluation of endothelial progenitor cells from the umbilical cord blood].

Objective: To investigate the biological characteristics of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the umbilical cord blood (UCB), and to evaluate their oncogenicity after long-term culture in vitro.

Methods: The mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from the UCB and cultured in MCDB131 medium supplemented with 20% FBS, VEGF and other growth factors. Morphology of the EPCs was observed, and the growth curve of the EPCs was investigated.