Figure 1.

Multipotent capacity of mesenchymal stem cells. MSCs are derived from numerous tissue sources including bone marrow and adipose tissue. They are able to differentiate into various end-cell types including osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and myoblasts. Additionally, they are immunoprivileged, therefore allowing autologous as well as allogeneic therapeutic potential. They can also be cryopreserved, while maintaining their multipotent properties, thus allowing them to be ideal candidates for “off the shelf” cell-based therapies.