INTRODUCTION
Tissue engineering aims to study and develop new methods for the replacement of damaged or diseased tissue. The fundamental idea is to use the appropriate type of cells, seed them on suitable support materials, induce controlled cell differentiation by the addition of specific growth factors and use the mature construct for replacement of the lost tissue. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are at the root of this technology due to their regenerative potential and capability to differentiate into osteogenic, chondro-genic and adipogenic lineages,1 which make them particularly attractive for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.