Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

Postnatal bone marrow tissue is known to contain multipotential bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with the capacity to develop into various mature marrow stromal elements and associated skeletal tissues. This chapter reviews the properties of clonogenic stromal cell types within postnatal bone marrow tissue and addresses a poorly understood aspect of their cell biology: namely, the developmental relationships between the different bone marrow stromal cell lineages. In particular, evidence for the existence of a multipotential bone marrow MSC is discussed, including an examination of the cellular and molecular characteristics of MSC and potential clinical applications. © 2013 Wiley-Blackwell.