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The present invention provides methods for generating and utilization of connective tissue progenitor cells from adult stem cells, successfully overcoming shortcomings of presently known configurations. Adult stem cells differentiate into connective tissue progenitor cells capable of being maintained in a proliferative, non-terminally differentiated state for at least 20 passages in culture, and capable of differentiating into cells of chondrogenic lineage, osteogenic lineage, adipocytic lineage, tendon lineage and ligament lineage. The connective tissue progenitor cells are capable of forming extracellular matrix, mineralized matrix, bone tissue, cartilage tissue, tendon tissue and ligament tissue.