Abstract
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are one of the most popular cell types for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is generally believed that reduced oxygen tension plays a critical role in the success of implantation and cell expansion. Here, based on evidence from metabolic flux simulation of BM-MSCs, we suggest that although oxygen availability can slightly improve cell proliferation, it is not as important as glucose availability. Consequently, glucose-releasing scaffolds might improve BM-MSC characteristics for clinical applications.