Biology of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells are present in many human tissues and serve as a readily available source of undifferentiated cells being capable to form specific tissues like bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and tendon. They represent an attractive and promising field in tissue regeneration and engineering for treatment applications in a wide range of trauma and orthopaedic conditions. This article covers the most important aspects of recent research data demonstrating the combination of physiological properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and applications in the clinical setting. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.