Human Adipose Tissue as a Source of Cells with Angiogenic Potential

Abstract

Endothelial cells (ECs) are involved in the process of angiogenesis, the outgrowth of new vessels from preexisting blood vessels. If available in sufficiently large numbers, ECs could be used therapeutically to establish blood flow through in vitro engineered tissues and tissues suffering from severe ischemia. Adipose tissue (AT) is an easily available source of large number of autologous ECs. Here we describe the isolation, in vitro expansion, and characterization of human AT derived ECs (AT-ECs). AT-ECs proliferated rapidly through 15-20 population doublings. The cultured cells showed cobblestone morphology and expressed EC markers including CD31, CD144, eNOS, CD309, CD105, von Willebrand factor, CD146, CD54, and CD102. They bound Ulex europaeus agglutinin I lectin and took up DiI-Ac-LDL. The AT-ECs formed capillary-like tubes in Matrigel in vitro and formed functional blood vessels in Matrigel following subcutaneous injection into immunodeficient mice. In conclusion, AT-ECs reach clinically significant cell numbers after few population doublings and are easily accessible from autologous AT, which also contains mesenchymal stem cells/ pericytes. Thus, AT yields two cell populations that may be used together in the treatment of tissue ischemia and in clinical applications of tissue engineering.

Adipose Stromal Cells Differentiate Along a Smooth Muscle Lineage Pathway Upon Endothelial Cell Contact via Induction of Activin A

“…These vessels develop in several days after injection and stably integrate into host vasculature. 9,23,24 The formation of stable vessels is a complex process requiring finely orchestrated interactions between 2 cell types, EC and mural/pericyte cells, and the surrounding environment. Previously, to facilitate mechanistic analysis of EC-ASC interactions, we introduced an in vitro model of cocultivation of human EC and ASC in a system containing serum but no additional exogenous cytokines or extracellular matrix.…”

Adipocyte Regeneration after Free Fat Transplantation: Promotion by Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells

“…One of our previous studies also proved that SVF cells from rabbits could markedly raise the retention rate of the autogenous adipose tissue transplantation (9). Numerous animal and clinic studies proved that SVF-assisted transplantation could effectively raise the retention rate of grafts (28). However, the survival mode of adipose tissue and whether tissue regeneration was involved during the transplantation was not well studied.…”

Vitronectin-Based, Biomimetic Encapsulating Hydrogel Scaffolds Support Adipogenesis of Adipose Stem Cells

“…These data are particularly important, as the survival of a 3D tissue graft in vivo will most likely require the formation of some vasculature to bring blood and essential nutrients to the cells present in the tissue graft. While the expression of these factors is clearly essential for developing tissue grafts, it is also important to keep in mind that ASCs themselves are capable of differentiating into endothelial cells, 46,73 which would allow these cells to potentially survive in vivo by differentiating into both adipocytes and endothelial cells capable of creating their own vasculature.…”