Mesenchymal stem cells are pluripotent cells with great promise for regenerative medicine that are found in all tissues of the body; fat and bone marrow are good sources of these cells. Although they hold great promise they also are capable of stimulating the growth of cancer cells. The lab of Xiao-Dong Chen, MD, PhD Professor of Restorative Dentistry is characterizing the aging of human mesenchymal stem cells. The lab of Rong Li, PhD Professor of Molecular Medicine is studying the potential for mesenchymal stem cells to increase breast cancer growth.