Human muscle stem/progenitor cells are bi-potential adult stem cells

Abstract Tendon injury occurs at high frequency and is difficult to repair. Identification human stem cells being able to regenerate tendon will greatly facilitate the development of regenerative medicine for tendon injury. We identified human muscle stem/progenitor cells having tendon differentiation potential both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, the tendon differentiation potential is not present in mouse muscle stem cells. These findings reveal that human muscle stem cells are bi-potential adult stem cells and can serve as a new source for tendon regeneration.