The isolation and expansion of mesenchymal stromal cells from bone marrow

Cell-based therapies (other than hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation) are a new wave in the development of biological agents to treat or cure a wide range of medical conditions, including hereditary, acquired, and degenerative human diseases. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of multipotent cells that can differentiate into the mesenchymal lineages of fat, bone, tendon, muscle, and cartilage. MSCs can also be transplanted across major histocompatibility complex (MHC) barriers into immune competent recipients without the need for immune suppression of the recipient before or after MSC administration. This chapter compares the cell surface and intracellular chemokine receptor display on adult human bone-marrow-derived MSCs with those on term-placenta-derived MSCs and with those on cord-blood-derived umbilical cord-blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs). It also compares the in vitro mesodermal differentiation potential of adult human bone-marrow-derived MSCs with those on term-placenta-derived MSCs and with those on cord-blood-derived USSCs.