Humans have skeletal stem cells that help bones and cartilage grow

The newfound cells could one day be used to repair joints and treat osteoporosis

human skeletal stem cells

BONE TO PICK When transplanted into a mouse, human skeletal stem cells produced bone (yellow), cartilage (blue) and spongy bone (red).

Chan and Longaker et al.

Repairing bones and cartilage may get easier thanks to newly discovered human skeletal stem cells.