Abstract: Disclosed are methods of diagnosing cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids. Also disclosed are methods of predicting cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids. Also disclosed are methods of identifying subjects at risk of developing cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of screening for agents that promote or inhibit vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. The screening methods comprise culturing mesodermal stem cells, for example, allantoic cells; contacting the mesodermal stem cells with the agent to be screened; detecting endothelial cells or endothelial stem cells in the culture; and comparing the endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened, with the endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in a control culture. An increase in endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened indicates an agent that promotes vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. A decrease in endothelial cells or endothelial cell precursors in the culture to be screened indicates an agent that inhibits vasculogenesis or angiogenesis.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of screening for agents that promote or inhibit vasculogenesis or angiogenesis. As one embodiment, the invention provides a method of screening for agents that modulate blood vessel formation from circulating endothelial cell precursors or migrating mesodermal stem cells. The invention further provides methods of using the identified agents to promote or inhibit vasculogenesis from circulating endothelial precursor cells in a tumor, tissue, organ, or graft. Also provided are methods of preventing and treating neovascular-dependent diseases using agents identified by the screening methods of the invention.