There has long been a described relationship between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and blood vessels in aspects of bone and other skeletal tissues with regard to their embryonic formation and their adult repair and regeneration dynamics. The use of exogenously added MSCs to supplement the naturally available progenitor cell stock has been a standard practice in several orthopedic surgeries by adding bone marrow to the repair constructs. This, coupled with the well-established need for vasculature to orient and drive bone formation, firmly established the functional relationship between MSCs, osteoprogenitors, and blood vessels. It is now apparent that MSCs are pericytes (cells that surround blood vessels) throughout the body. In addition, MSCs can function to secrete bioactive factors that are immunomodulatory, thus allowing allogeneic MSCs to be infused into patients requiring clinically relevant treatments. Such infused MSCs trophically establish microenvironments that support the regeneration of the injured tissue. These new functions usher in a new era of cell-based therapies.
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