Practice question

Mesenchymal stem cells, also termed mesenchymal stromal cells, originate perivascularly in bone marrow and adipose tissue. Defined by CD73, CD90, CD105 positivity and absence of hematopoietic markers CD45 and CD34, they exhibit multipotency limited to mesodermal lineages: osteoblasts synthesizing bone matrix via Runx2, chondrocytes producing cartilage collagen II and aggrecan via Sox9, and adipocytes via PPAR-gamma. Differentiation is driven by Wnt and BMP cues. Unlike hematopoietic or neural stem cells, they do not generate neurons, blood, or gametes under physiological conditions inside the body.