Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) and tissue-specific progenitors represent the main tools for regenerative medicine approaches such as tissue engineering and cell therapy. Tissue-specific progenitor cells has emerged as possible suitable cell targets or tools for cell-based therapies in orthopaedics. The complete characterization of MSCs and progenitor cells and their differentiation and paracrine abilities represent the crucial first step towards the development of new therapeutic applications of regenerative medicine. The OBL is particularly involved in the characterization of tendon, cartilage and intervertebral disc progenitor cells, as well as the identification of suitable protocols for the differentiation and the activation of resident progenitors. In addition, we also investigated the ability of different delivery systems for the efficient topic application of progenitors in joints and tissue.