Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. scadden.david@mgh.harvard.edu
Recent studies involving molecular modification of adult somatic cells have pointed to a remarkable plasticity in cell identity. In this issue of the JCI, Koh and colleagues assessed whether bone marrow-derived cells could alter their fate under circumstances conducive to adipocyte generation in vivo (see the related article beginning on page 3684). These cells remained true to their roots, indicating how difficult it will be to exploit cell plasticity for therapeutic purposes.