Reversine is a 2,6-disubstituted purine derivative as a potent, selective A3 adenosine receptor antagonist. Reversine could induce differentiated myogenic-linage committed cells to become multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells. Cultured myoblasts treated for four days with 5 µM reversine were dedifferentiated into confluent stem cell progenitors, that could then be induced by osteogenic or adipogenic medium to re-differentiate into bone or adipose precursors, respectively.