Generation and characterization of an immortalized human mesenchymal stromal cell line.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) show great potential for clinical and experimental use due to their capacity to self-renew and differentiate into multiple mesenchymal lineages. However, disadvantages of primary cultures of hMSCs are the limited in vitro lifespan, and the variable properties of cells from different donors and over time in culture. In this article, we describe the generation of a telomerase-immortalized nontumorigenic human bone marrow-derived stromal mesenchymal cell line, and its detailed characterization after long-term culturing (up to 155 population doublings).