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Building a consensus regarding the nature and origin of mesenchymal stem cells
Author(s) -
Phinney Donald G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.10084
Subject(s) - mesenchymal stem cell , biology , stem cell , haematopoiesis , bone marrow , microbiology and biotechnology , evolutionary biology , immunology
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are believed to be the common precursors to differentiated cell lineages found in bone and bone marrow, including adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and hematopoiesis‐supporting stroma. Apart from this fact, most aspects of MSC biology, including their ontogeny, anatomical location in marrow, and in vivo functions remain vague. Attempts to clarify these issues have produced confounding results, principally due to the fact that many researchers employ different methods to culture MSCs, assess their differentiation potential, and evaluate their capacity for self‐renewal. Accordingly, the current status of the field appears fragmentary with no clear consensus on how to define the cells. In describing past and present contributions to the field of MSC research, I will demonstrate that the apparent incongruity of the literature is misleading, and that an unbiased interpretation reveals a fairly cohesive picture of MSC biology. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 38: 7–12, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.