Figure 1

Heterogeneous mesenchymal stem cells hold multipotent potential. Less than 30% of MSCs contributed to cardiomyocyte differentiation. The MSCs that differentiate into cardiomyocytes express the early cardiac markers GATA4 and NKX2.5. The low-adherent subfraction of MSCs with a CD45(-)CD14(+)CD34(+) phenotype is capable of differentiating into endothelial cells enriched in angiogenic marker expression and exhibiting functional properties of endothelium. MSCs from synovial membranes, especially the CD105(+) subpopulation, have a superior chondrogenic capacity. CD73 was found to be expressed exclusively in osteogenesis but not in adipogenesis in murine MSCs. Increased tumor homing properties were found in a specific MSC subpopulation that exhibited enhanced multipotent capacity and increased cell surface expression of specific integrins (integrins alpha2, alpha3, and alpha5). The CD133-positive MSC fraction contains more MSCs with high proliferative potential.