Discovery of a periosteal stem cell mediating intramembranous bone formation

Bone consists of separate inner endosteal and outer periosteal compartments, each with distinct contributions to bone physiology and each maintaining separate pools of cells owing to physical separation by the bone cortex. The skeletal stem cell that gives rise to endosteal osteoblasts has been extensively studied; however, the identity of periosteal stem cells remains unclear1–5. Here we identify a periosteal stem cell (PSC) that is present in...