Human Adipose Stem Cells: From Bench to Bed-Side

Stem cell based therapies for repair and regeneration of different tissues are becoming more important in the treatment of several diseases. Adult stem cells currently symbolize the most availa-ble source of cell progenitors for tissue engineering and repair and can be harvested using minimal-ly invasive procedures. Moreover, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the most widely used stem cells in stem cell based therapies, are multipotent progenitors, with capability to differentiate into cartilage, bone, connective, muscle and adipose tissue. So far, bone marrow has been regarded as the main source of MSCs. To date, human adult adipose tissue may be the best suitable alternative source of MSCs. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) can be largely extracted from subcutaneous human adult adipose tissue. A large number of studies show that adipose tissue contains a biologically and clinically interesting heterogeneous cell population called stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The SVF may be employed directly or cultured in for selection and expansion of an adherent population, so called adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). In recent years, literature based on data related to SVF cells and ASCs has augmented considerably: these studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safe-ty of SVF cells and ASCs in vivo in animal models. On the basis of these observations, in several countries various clinical trials involving SVF cells and ASCs have been permitted. This review aims to summarize data concerning either ASCs cellular biology or ASCs based clinical trials and to discuss the possible future clinical translation of ASCs and their potentiality in cell-based tissue engineering.