In industrialized countries, osteoarthritis affects over one-third of the adult population. Since cartilage is unable to repair itself, treatments for osteoarthritis primarily cover up symptoms only. This had led to efforts to develop alternative means to restore degenerated cartilage. Over the last few years, research in tissue regeneration has been bolstered by the discovery that cells in bone marrow, called mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), are capable of maturing into several tissues including cartilage. Dr. Anna Spagnoli’s research is aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which growth factors regulate MSC cartilage regeneration potential. Among these growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-I (IFG-I) seems to play a pivotal role in cartilage regeneration. The primary focus of Dr. Spagnoli’s study is to define the mechanisms by which IGF-I determine the cartilage potential of MSC. Identification of such mechanisms will provide a critical framework to fully implement and optimize effective MSC gene and cellular therapy in patients with osteoarthritis.