title: Special stem cells for bone.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotential in vitro, but their endogenous properties are poorly defined. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Park et al. (2012) report that an MSC-like, osteolineage-directed Mx1+ population generates new osteoblasts at sites of bone damage, suggesting its potential for skeletal repair and regeneration.
authors.affiliation: The Mount Sinai Bone Program, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. mone.zaidi@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Mone
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Harry C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Blair