Human mesenchymal stem cells

The identity of cells that establish the hematopoietic microenvironment (HME) in human bone marrow (BM), and of skeletal ("mesenchymal") stem cells (SSCs) found in BM stroma, have long remained elusive. We show that MCAM/CD146-expressing, subendothelial cells in human BM stroma are both the self-renewing SSCs and the cells that transfer the HME at heterotopic sites upon transplantation.

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Sacchetti B, Funari A, Michienzi S, Di Cesare S, Piersanti S, Saggio I, Tagliafico E, Ferrari S, Robey PG, Riminucci M, Bianco P