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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2009;29:1723.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Brief Review

Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells

Characterization and Potential for Cardiovascular Repair

Rosalinda Madonna; Yong-Jian Geng; Raffaele De Caterina

From the Institute of Cardiology and Center of Excellence on Aging (R.M., R.D.C.), "G. d’Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy; and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Texas Heart Institute (Y.-J.G.), Houston, Tex.

Correspondence to Raffaele De Caterina, MD, PhD, Institute of Cardiology, "G. d’Annunzio" University – Chieti, c/o Ospedale SS. Annunziata, Via dei Vestini, 66013 Chieti, Italy. E-mail rdecater{at}unich.it

Experimental studies have shown that cardiac transfer of unfractionated or partially purified bone marrow cells, as well as stem cells and progenitor cells derived from the bone marrow or peripheral blood, can enhance functional recovery after an acute myocardial infarction. However, the relatively low abundance, small tissue volume, difficult accessibility, and disease-related malfunction of bone marrow-derived stem cells hamper their clinical usefulness. Numerous studies have provided evidence that stromal cells derived from the adipose tissue (adipose tissue-derived stromal cells [ADSCs]) contain a population of adult multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells that can differentiate into several lineages, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes. The similarities between stem cells extracted from the bone marrow and the adipose tissue suggest the potential for the adipose tissue to act as an alternative, and perhaps preferable, cell source for repairing damaged tissues, such as the ischemic or infarcted heart. We have here reviewed the medical literature describing molecular and functional characterization, differentiation, potential role, and results obtained so far using ADSCs in tissue repair, with a particular focus on the role for ADSCs in cardiovascular repair and regeneration.

Stromal cells derived from the adipose tissue (adipose tissue-derived stromal cells) contain a population of adult multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells that can differentiate into several lineages, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes, and act through paracrine mechanisms for potential myocardial repair.

Key Words: adipose tissue • bone marrow • stem cells • stromal cells • myocardial repair • myocardial regeneration.