Engraftment and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells after in utero transplantation in fetal sheep

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells of bone marrow origin. Under specific in vitro conditions, MSCs have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts, myoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and bone marrow stromal cells. There is little information on the in vivo behavior of these cells, either in situ, or after transplantation. Potential clinical applications of MSCs include cellular therapy, tissue engineering, and gene therapy.