endothelial cells better. when combining the results from both of the studies, results show that sevoflurane was able to improve the function of epcs significantly in three different areas of interest. clinical significance role in cancer understanding more about escs is important in cancer research. tumours induce angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels. these cancerous cells do this by secreting factors such as vegf and by reducing the amount of pgk, an anti-vegf enzyme. the result is an uncontrolled production of beta-catenin, which regulates cell growth and cell mobility. with uncontrolled beta-catenin, the cell loses its adhesive properties. as ecs get packed together to create the lining of a new blood vessel, a single cancer cell is able to travel through the vessel to a distant site. if that cancer cell implants itself and begins forming a new tumor, the cancer has metastasized. the cancer cells also do not have to travel to a distant site, they can also stay in one location and this is known as the tumor being benign. metastasized tumors are much harsher form of cancer because the tumors must be treated at many different locations, compared to just one location when the tumor is benign. research stem cells have always been a huge interest for scientists due to their unique properties that make them unlike any other cell in the body. generally, the idea boils down to harnessing the power of plasticity and the ability to go from an unspecialized cell to a highly specialized differentiated cell. escs play an incredibly important role in establishing the vascular network that is vital for a functional circulatory system. consequently, epcs are under study to determine the potential for treatment of ischemic heart disease. scientists are still trying to find a way to definitely distinguish the stem cell from the progenitor. in the case of endothelial cells, it is even difficult to distinguish a mature ec from an epc. however, because of the multipotency of the esc, the discoveries made about epcs will parallel or understate the powers of the esc. animal models there are a number of models used to study vasculogenesis. avian embryos, xenopus laevis embryos, are both fair models. however, zebrafish and mouse embryos have widespread use for easily observed development of vascular systems, and the recognition of key parts of molecular regulation when ecs differentiate.