Sanuri Rashmitha Liyanage

In a world first, Sanuri led the discovery and characterisation of embryonically derived, bipotent progenitor/stem cells in different prenatal and postnatal mammalian tissues (aorta, heart, lung, fat, muscle and skin). These progenitors are capable of clonal proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation into two distinct lineages of mature cells, macrophages and endothelial cells, and thus has been coined “endothelial-macrophage progenitors” or “EndoMac progenitors”. These cells have a unique surface marker and transcriptomic signature and respond to different pathophysiological stimuli (e.g., atherosclerosis, tissue ischaemia, wound injury) by rapidly expanding and forming new tissue-resident macrophages and endothelial-lined neovessels. 

Her findings represent a major conceptual advance and provide a new model that helps to explain and bring together several key observations from the existing literature: Long-held speculation around the existence of a bipotent haemato-endothelial progenitor population in postnatal tissues, which until now has not been shown in vivo; Independent observations from different fate-mapping studies that embryonic YS progenitors give rise to both tissue-resident macrophages and endothelial cells; Apparent self-renewal of YS-derived macrophages in their mature state postnatally, which has largely been based on circumstantial evidence; A new mechanism to account for new blood vessel formation in ischaemic tissues and the well-recognised impairment of angiogenesis that accompanies diabetes. Pending future research, she proposes that EndoMac progenitors may provide a new therapeutic tool or target to rescue ischaemic tissue. This could involve their use for exogenous cell transplantation or novel interventions to rescue or fortify their endogenous vasculogenic and reparative properties.