Objective To review the in vitro development of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells culture (BM-MSC).Data sources The data cited in this review were mainly obtained from articles listed in Medline and PubMed.The search terms were “bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell" and "cell culture".Study selection Articles regarding the in vitro development of BM-MSCs culture,as well as the challenge of optimizing cell culture environment in two-dimensional (2D) vs.3D.Results Improving the culture conditions increases the proliferation and reduces the differentiation.Optimal values for many culture parameters remain to be identified.Expansion of BM-MSCs under defined conditions remains challenging,including the development of optimal culture conditions for BMSC and large-volume production systems.Conclusions Expansion of BM-MSCs under defined conditions remains challenges,including the development of optimal culture conditions for BMSC and scale-up to large-volume production systems.Optimal values for many culture parameters remain to be identified.