Research points to ways to improve the therapeutic potential of stem cells

Stem cells hold great promise for transforming medical care related to a diverse range of conditions, but the cells often lose some of their therapeutic potential when scientists try to grow and expand them in the laboratory. A new study, however, provides insights on the cellular mechanisms that might be targeted to help certain stem cells-called human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs)-maintain properties needed to make them clinically useful.