Cell replacement therapy—are MAPCs the answer?

The full complement of blood cell types arises from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of the bone marrow. The ability of these cells to both self-renew and to produce daughter cells capable of any hematopoietic fate makes them an attractive resource for cell replacement therapy for blood and immune disorders. However, as with adult stem cells from other tissues, long-term culturing of these cells has proven difficult.

MAPCs, on the other hand, can divide seemingly endlessly in culture. These cells, which can give rise to multiple cell types, were discovered by chance when Catherine Verfaillie's group was trying to culture...