It is established that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow are a
source of osteoblast progenitors in vivo and under appropriate conditions, differentiate into
osteoblasts ex vivo. Because hMSCs are recovered by iliac crest aspirate and enriched by
virtue of their adherence to tissue culture plastic, the cells provide a convenient ex vivo
model for the study of osteogenic tissue repair in an experimentally accessible system.
Recent advances in the field of skeletal development and osteogenesis have demonstrated …