By Dr.Supachai Ekwattanakit
B.SC., Ph.D., M.D.,
Thai Board of Adult Hematology
Mesenchymal Stem Cells or MSCs were first discovered in the 1980s and were initially classified as Adult Stem cells. When we culture MSCs and observe them under a microscope, we see spindle-shaped cells.
There are 3 primary characteristics defined for MSCs:
Adherence to plastic: These cells have the ability to adhere to plastic surfaces during standard cell culture processes.
Expression of specific surface proteins: MSCs express specific proteins on their cell surface, which are characteristic of this cell type.
Tri-lineage differentiation potential: MSCs have the ability to differentiate into three primary cell types of the mesoderm: bone, cartilage, and fat."
However, research over the past decade has shown that MSCs are not actually stem cells in the body, but rather cells derived from cells surrounding blood vessels called pericytes. Although they work closely with stem cells in each organ, it has been proposed that they be renamed 'Medicinal Signaling Cells'.
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