The Potential of Adipose Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Adipose stem cells (ASCs) are an attractive and abundant stem cell source with therapeutic applicability in diverse fields for the repair and regeneration of acute and chronically damaged tissues. Importantly, unlike the human bone marrow stromal/stem stem cells (BMSCs) that are present at low frequency in the bone marrow, ASCs can be retrieved in high number from either liposuction aspirates or subcutaneous adipose tissue fragments and can easily be expanded in vitro. ASCs display properties similar to that observed in BMSCs and, upon induction, undergo at least osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic and neurogenic, differentiation in vitro. Furthermore, ASCs have been shown to be immunoprivileged, prevent severe graft-versus-host disease in vitro and in vivo and to be genetically stable in long-term culture. They have also proven applicability in other functions, such as providing hematopoietic support and gene transfer. Due to these characteristics, ASCs have rapidly advanced into clinical trials for treatment of a broad range of conditions. As cell therapies are becoming more frequent, clinical laboratories following good manufacturing practices are needed. At the same time as laboratory processes become more extensive, the need for control in the processing laboratory grows consequently involving a greater risk of complications and possibly adverse events for the recipient. Therefore, the safety, reproducibility and quality of the stem cells must thoroughly be examined prior to extensive use in clinical applications. In this review, some of the aspects of examination on ASCs in vitro and the utilization of ASCs in clinical studies are discussed.

Anatomical, Histological And Metabolic Differences Between Hypodermis And Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue

“…Adipose stem cells have drawn the attention of researchers over the past 15 years due to the following factors: harvesting these cells has been made easily through liposuction approaches [11]; they form an important regenerating tissue; they represent a possible regulator of obesity owing to their secreting capacity [15].…”

“…Such cells are therapeutically applied in many areas given their expansion ability and their capacity to undergo in vitro differentiation into adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, myogenic and neurogenic lineages [15].…”

“…In restorative therapies based on cell implantation, adipose stem cells are perfectly suitable due to their capacity of multilineage differentiation and self-renewal as well as the ability to repair, replace and regenerate tissues and organs injured by an agent or disease [15]. The structural morphology of the peri-adipocyte basket and the presence of rich microcirculation in stem cells make the subcutaneous adipose tissue (LAT) ideal as a donor area, especially in sites where the collagen basket is thin, like in the trochanteric region and in the inner part of the knees [1].…”

“…Many clinical trials have evaluated its effectiveness in treatments of conditions like types I and II diabetes mellitus, hepatic cirrhosis, intestinal fistulas, cardiovascular diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among others [15]. Adipose stem cells have shown to regulate cytokine production inhibition both in TCD4 and TCD8 lymphocytes, stimulating the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines [15].…”

Applicability of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

“…ADSCs have been explored in several functional lineages, including osteoblasts (87), chondrocytes (59), myocytes (72), endothelial cells (77), hepatocytes (68), and neuronal cells (66). Animal models have demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of ADSCs as cell replacement therapy and cell repair functionality (10,60).…”