The plastic-adherent cells isolated from BM and other sources have come to be widely
known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). However, the recognized biologic properties
of the unfractionated population of cells do not seem to meet generally accepted criteria
for stem cell activity, rendering the name scientifically inaccurate and potentially
misleading to the lay public. Nonetheless, a bona fide MSC most certainly exists.
To address this inconsistency between nomenclature and biologic properties, and to
clarify the terminology, we suggest that the fibroblast-like plastic-adherent cells,
regardless of the tissue from which they are isolated, be termed multipotent mesenchymal
stromal cells, while the term mesenchymal stem cells is used only for cells that meet
specified stem cell criteria. The widely recognized acronym, MSC, may be used for
both cell populations, as is the current practice; thus, investigators must clearly
define the more scientifically correct designation in their reports. The International
Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) encourages the scientific community to adopt this
uniform nomenclature in all written and oral communications.
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© 2005 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
