Wilms' tumor 1 (re)activation in evidence for both epicardial progenitor and endothelial cells for cardiovascular regeneration

- Developmental transcription factors such as Wt1 are essential for progenitor maintenance and cell specific differentiation.
- Somatic cells are capable of reactivating dormant developmental genes in injury and disease states.
- Hypoxia induced re-expression of Wt1 occurs in somatic endothelial cells in the myocardium.