RAT BONE MARROW MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS ISOLATION, CULTIVATION AND DIFFERENTIATION
Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) represent a heterogeneous population derived from the non–blood-forming fraction of bone marrow that regulates hematopoietic cell development. In vitro, adult mesenchymal stem cells resident in this bone marrow fraction differentiate into bone, cartilage, and fat. Because MSCs can be easily obtained using a simple bone marrow aspiration and show extensive capacity for expansion in vitro, these cells have been considered as candidates for cell therapy. The aim of this study was to purify rat MSCs from adult bone marrow and to functionally characterise their abilities to differentiate along diverse lineages. Our data demonstrate that we successfully isolated, culture-expanded and differentiated a relatively homogeneous population of MPCs from adult rat bone marrow.