Fat Stromal Vascular Fraction Research Articles

The fractionation of adipose tissue procedure to obtain stromal vascular fractions for regenerative purposes.

Autologous adipose tissue transplantation is clinically used to reduce dermal scarring and to restore volume loss. The therapeutic benefit on tissue damage more likely depends on the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue than on the adipocyte fraction. This stromal vascular fraction can be obtained by dissociation of adipose tissue, either enzymatically or mechanical. Enzymatic dissociation procedures are time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we developed a new inexpensive mechanical dissociation procedure to obtain the stromal vascular fraction from adipose tissue in a time sparing way, which is directly available for therapeutic injection. This mechanical dissociation procedure is denoted as the fractionation of adipose tissue (FAT) procedure. The FAT procedure was performed in eleven patients. The composition of the FAT-stromal vascular fraction was characterized by immunohistochemistry. Adipose derived stromal cells isolated from the FAT-stromal vascular fraction were compared with adipose derived stromal cells isolated from nondissociated adipose tissue (control) for their CD-surface marker expression, differentiation and colony forming unit capacity. Case reports demonstrated the therapeutic effect of the FAT-stromal vascular fraction. The FAT-stromal vascular fraction is an enrichment of extracellular matrix containing a microvasculature and culturable adipose derived stromal cells. Adipose derived stromal cells isolated from FAT-stromal vascular fraction did not differ from adipose derived stromal cells isolated from the control group in CD-surface marker expression, differentiation and colony forming unit capacity. The FAT procedure is a rapid effective mechanical dissociation procedure to generate FAT-stromal vascular fraction ready for injection with all its therapeutic components of adipose tissue: it contains culturable adipose derived stromal cells embedded in their natural supportive extracellular matrix together with the microvasculature.

Transplantation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Delays Clinical Onset and Prolongs Life Span in ALS Mouse Model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that selectively affects motor neurons in the cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. The precise pathogenic mechanism remains unknown, and there is currently no effective therapy. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) in an animal model of ALS. Human abdominal subcutaneous fat tissues were obtained by simple liposuction from donors, and ASCs were isolated from the fat stromal vascular fraction. ASCs were found to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes, and neurons. SOD1G93A ALS mice were divided into three groups: sham, intravenous (IV), and intracerebroventricular (ICV) groups. Human ASCs were transplanted in the ALS mice at 70 postnatal days before the appearance of clinical symptoms. Behavior of transplanted animals was assessed by rotarod test, paw grip endurance (PaGE), and reflex index. Mice in every group were sacrificed after 4 weeks posttransplantation. Transplanted ASCs were identified in the lumbar spinal cords with an antihuman mitochondria antibody and cell type-specific markers for neurons or astrocytes. Delayed onset of clinical symptoms (26 days) and extended survival of animals (24 days) were observed in ALS mice transplanted with ASCs via ICV route. ASCs were found to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors such as NGF, BDNF, IGF-1, and VEGF. Reduction of apoptotic cell death by these factors was confirmed in cultured CNS cells and in the ALS spinal cord. These results indicate that transplantation of ASCs in ALS mice provides neuroprotective effects by production of cytokines/growth factors, delays disease progression, and prolongs the life span of ALS mice.