Concise Review: Adipose‐Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells and Stem Cells: Let's Not Get Lost in Translation

• Published in: Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio) Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 749 - 754
• Main Authors: Gimble, Jeffrey M., Bunnell, Bruce A., Chiu, Ernest S., Guilak, Farshid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.05.2011; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adipogenesis; Adipogenesis - physiology; Adipose; Adipose Tissue - cytology; Adult stem cells; Animals; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; Cellular therapy; Clinical translation; Current Good Manufacturing Practices; Fractions; Humans; Stem Cell Transplantation; Stem cells; Stem Cells - cytology; Stromal cells; Stromal Cells - cytology
• ISSN: 1066-5099; 1549-4918; 1549-4918
• DOI: 10.1002/stem.629

Subcutaneous fat has emerged as an alternative tissue source for stromal/stem cells in regenerative medicine. Over the past decade, international research efforts have established a wealth of basic science and preclinical evidence regarding the differentiation potential and regenerative properties of both freshly processed, heterogeneous stromal vascular fraction cells and culture expanded, relatively homogeneous adipose‐derived stromal/stem cells. The stage has been set for clinicians to translate adipose‐derived cells from the bench to the bedside; however, this process will involve “development” steps that fall outside of traditional “hypothesis‐driven, mechanism‐based” paradigm. This concise review examines the next stages of the development process for therapeutic applications of adipose‐derived cells and highlights the current state of the art regarding clinical trials. It is recommended that the experiments addressing these issues be reported comprehensively in the peer‐review literature. This transparency will accelerate the standardization and reproducibility of adipose‐derived cell therapies with respect to their efficacy and safety. STEM CELLS 2011;29:749–754