Adipose-derived stem cells; selecting for translational success

Abstract

Use of autologous fat in reconstructive surgery has gained increasing popularity within the last decade, however refinements of clinical technique have failed to address on-going concerns over transplanted fat survival. Novel regenerative solutions, particularly those utilising adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), have been suggested. A rise in the number of studies examining in vitro characterisation and differentiation of ASCs has been seen, with increasing translation to both in vivo models and a breadth of clinical specialties. However, an appreciation of the truly heterogenous nature of this unique stem cell group has identified a need to more accurately delineate sub-populations by any of a host of methods, to include functional properties or surface marker expression. Cells selected for improved proliferative, differentiative, angiogenic or ischaemia-resistant properties are but a few attributes that could have far-reaching consequences for targeted treatments or therapies. Translation to fat grafting, with use of ASC sub-populations selected for specific graft-enhancing properties, could have widespread benefits for patients undergoing reconstructive procedures. For this to be a reality, optimising cell culture conditions to permit re-introduction to patients is critical.The aim of this study was to further characterise the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from human adipose tissue, to allow selection of sub-populations with robust self-renewal and adipogenic capacity. Specifically, we examined the in-vitro proliferation and differentiation of two ASC sub-populations defined by the markers CD24 and CD34, selected by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). Mean prevalence of CD34 was 55% and CD24 5.75% in the SVF, with decreasing expression over multiple passage. CD34+ cells showed improved proliferation versus unsorted populations (p

Date of Award	31 Dec 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Judith Hoyland (Supervisor), Adam Reid (Supervisor) & Vivien Lees (Supervisor)