We studied cell cultures isolated from the pulp of third molar germ of an adult human and from the skin of a human fetus on gestation day 10. Both cultures expressed similar repertoire of surface markers typical of multipotent mesenchymal cells (CD44, CD90, and CD105). Under in vitro conditions, dental pulp cells were more susceptible to factors inducing their differentiation into adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineage cells.