TABLE 1.

In vivo and in vitro biological characteristics of MSCs most commonly used in clinical studies

MSC source	In vivo role		In vitro biological features
		Collection/isolation	Level of differentiation ability	Immunophenotype 18 , 19 (beyond ISCT minimal criteria, main markers)	Proliferation/senescence
Bone marrow	Formation and maintenance of the hematopoietic stem cell niche	Invasive collection procedure/0.001%‐0.01% of the total BM nucleated cells	High estrogenic and chondrogenic potential	Stro‐1+, SSEA‐4+, CD146+, CD106+, CD271+	Low proliferative capacity and clonogenicity/senescence after ∼12 in vitro passages
Adipose tissue	Localized within the stromal vascular fraction regulate local of angiogenesis and vessel remodeling	Ease of collection/high availability (∼500‐fold as compared to BM‐MSC)	High adipogenic potential, endothelial cells	CD34+ (at least in early in vitro passages), CD10+, CD36+, CD49d+, CD106−	Good proliferative capacity and high clonogenicity senescence
Umbilical cord	Maintenance of stromal tissue by differentiating into myofibroblasts to elaborate ECM	Non‐invasive collection procedure/low frequency of MSC	High chondrogenic potential	Stro‐1−, SSEA‐4−, CD146+, CD271−	High proliferative capacity and clonogenicity (compared to BM and AT)/low senescence