Towards an ideal source of mesenchymal stem cell isolation for possible therapeutic application in regenerative...

The possibility of obtaining mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from fetal tissue such as amniotic fluid, chorionic villi and placenta is well-known and a comparison between MSCs originating in different sources such as fetal tissue and those from bone marrow in terms of yield and function is a topical issue. The mesenchymal stem cells isolated from bone marrow are well-characterized. Unfortunately the low quantitative yield during isolation is a major problem. For this reason, other tissue sources for MSCs are of paramount importance.

In this review, starting from a description of the molecular and cellular biology of MSCs, we describe alternative sources of isolation other than bone marrow. Finally, we describe the potential therapeutic application of these cells.