In the July/August issue of Stem Cells and Development, Italian scientists M. Petrini et al. from the University of Pisa published the results of their study on isolating an unique subset of mesodermal progenitor cells (MPCs) from human bone marrow. Under appropriate culture conditions, the investigators were able to prolfierate and differentiate MPCs into multipotent mesenchymal cells. With autologous serum, the cells "were strongly adherent to plastic, resistant to trypsin detachment," and quiescent. Moreover, when the MPCs are cultured in human cord blood serum or fetal calf serum, the bone marrow-derived cells were able to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and endothelial cells. The MPCs expressed surface markers not normally found on mesenchymal cells concomitant embryonic markers. The researchers also noted that the MPCs strongly express aldehyde dehydrogenase, which is known to be strongly expressed in hematopoietic progenitors, but not in mesenchymal cells. The authors concluded from their experimental observations that adult serum has an important role in" maintaining pluripotent meseodermal precursors" which provides one the ability to isolate and purify these cells in vitro. The scientists also noted that "after purification, MPCs may be pulsed (with serum into the cultures)" in order to expand the cells on a large scale as a novel source of cells for regenerative medicine.