Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were tested their ability to undergo chondrogenesis. MSCs in a dish or a tube culture, treated with TGF-beta3 followed by thyroxine, expressed the morphology and histochemistry of cartilagenous tissues. Pellets grown in tube culture stained more intensely by alcian-blue, safranin-O, and azan-mallory. The factors to promote chondrogenesis were; tube culture, hypoxic culture, high-glucose DMEM, TGF-beta3, thyroxine, and dexamethasone. MSC-based cell therapy might be applicable for cartilage repair.