[Mesenchymal stem cells: sources, phenotype, and differentiation potential].

Mesenchymal stem cells present in the bone marrow and some other organs are primitive pluripotent precursors of osseous, cartilaginous, adipose, and other mesenchymal tissues. The recently revealed capacity of these cells for differentiation into nonmesenchymal derivatives is of considerable theoretical and practical interest. However, many aspects of the biology of these cells remain obscure despite active research.