Patent ID: 7482114

Claim:
A method for providing an isolated or expanded cell population with in vivo chondrocyte phenotypic stability which comprises: (a) assaying said cell population for the expression of a positive marker or a negative marker; and (b) identifying and selecting said cell population expressing said positive marker or not expressing said negative marker as a cell population having in vivo chondrocyte phenotypic stability; wherein the positive marker and negative markers are differentially expressed by a population of isolated or expanded cartilage cells, which when injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously in an animal are found to be capable of forming stable, non-vascularized cartilage in vivo, compared to a population of isolated or expanded cartilage cells which, when injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously in an animal, are found not to produce stable hyaline cartilage in vivo; the positive markers being positively associated to chondrocyte phenotypic stability and the negative markers being negatively associated with chondrocyte phenotypic stability.