Methods of generating, repairing and/or maintaining connective tissue in vivo

A method of treating a disease in a subject arising from degradation and/or inflammation of connective tissue, the method comprising administering to the subject a population of cells which have bright been enriched for STRO-1bright multipotential cells or progeny cells thereof, wherein paracrine activities of the administered population of cells protect or stimulate growth and/or regeneration of the connective tissue wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, seronegative arthritis, and arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and bright wherein the population of cells enriched for STRO-1bright multipotential cells or progeny cells thereof are administered by intra-articular injection to a joint space of the subject, wherein the joint space is in a knee joint, hip joint, ankle joint, shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint, hand or finger joint or a joint of the foot;

• and wherein the administration of the population of cells enriched for STRO-1bright multipotential cells or progeny cells thereof results in preservation or generation of connective tissue that is rich in proteoglycans in the joint space of the subject.