Stem cells can be distinguished based on their differentiation potential and source within the human body. Embryonic stem cells are totipotent, because they can form both embryonic and extra-embryonic structures.1 Furthermore, embryonic stem cells can proliferate indefinitely under specific culture conditions and retain the ability to differentiate into cell types of the three embryonic germ layers.1,2 In contrast, adult stem cells are undifferentiated multipotent stem cells obtained from adult individuals and differentiate into the cell types that constitute their respective source tissues; accordingly, cells originating from neuronal tissue can differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. This characteristic plasticity is an attribute of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are unspecialised cells with the ability to self-renew.3,4 Human MSCs are plastic-adherent cells that differentiate into cells that originate from the ectoderm and endoderm.35 Moreover, they can abandon their unspecialised or undifferentiated states and transform into other mesenchymal lineages. Thus, they can regenerate bone, cartilage and fat and even become endothelial cells, muscle cells or neurons under physiological and experimental conditions.3,4 While evidence suggests that MSCs are present in almost all human tissues, they were first isolated from mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow (BM).3,6 As MSCs are responsible for tissue repair, growth, wound healing and cell substitution resulting from physiological or pathological causes, they have various therapeutic applications such as in the treatment of central nervous system afflictions like spinal cord lesions.4 Moreover, because of their differentiation ability, MSCs have become the de facto model for regenerative medicine research.3,5,6 In the field of regenerative medicine, MSCs have several advantages over other types of stem cells. For example, from an ethical standpoint, the controversy that surrounds the procurement of embryonic stem cells is virtually nonexistent in the case of induced pluripotent stem cells or MSCs, although teratogenicity limits the widespread use of the former cell type.3,4,6 The objective of the current review was to highlight the available information regarding MSC sources and their potential applications in the treatment of a variety of diseases