The Holy Grail of Orthopedic Surgery: Mesenchymal Stem Cells—Their Current Uses and Potential Applications

Figure 2

MSC isolation procedure. Blood from a peripheral vein is collected from the patient following the mobilization of MSCs to the peripheral circulation with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Mononuclear cells are then separated from other blood components using a density gradient and seeded in cell culture flasks where they will proliferate. Expanded cells can then be stimulated to differentiate into a particular cellular lineage, harvested, and seeded onto a biocompatible scaffold for implantation in the patient, as required.