Identification and isolation from either adult human bone marrow or G-CSF−mobilized peripheral blood of CD34+/CD133+/CXCR4+/ Lin−CD45− cells, featuring morphological, molecular, and phenotypic characteristics of very small embryonic-like (VSEL) stem

Our study supports the hypothesis that very small embryonic-like stem cells constitute a “mobile” pool of primitive/pluripotent stem cells that could be released from the BM into the peripheral blood under the influence of various physiological or pathological stimuli. In order to fully support that hBM- and leukapheresis product−derived very small embryonic-like stem cells are actually pluripotent, we are currently testing their ability to differentiate in vitro into cells from all three germ layers.