title: [RESEARCH PROGRESS OF URINE-DERIVED STEM CELLS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the current progresses in purification strategies, biological characters, and the uses in tissue engineering of urine-derived stem cells (USCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Recent relevant publications on the USCs were extensively reviewed, analyzed, and summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  USCs, usually isolated by adherence screening method, are a population of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)--like somatic stem cells possessing robust self-renew and multi-potential differentiation ability. Combined with using appropriate biomaterials and biological molecules, USCs can be used as a good cell source for tissue engineering.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An alluring prospect exists on the USCs-related research. Further studies are required to investigate the origin, individual differences, and the therapeutic values of USCs.
authors.forename: Chunyuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*