Adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells in 3-dimensional spheroid cultures (microtissue): implications for the reconstructive surgeon.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) can be readily extracted from adipose tissue, expanded in vitro, and have the capacity to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. This makes this cell type of great interest to the field of regenerative medicine. This study focuses on the isolation and characterisation of ADSC and their differentiation into adipocytes in a 3D microtissue model. Human ADSC were isolated from abdominal adipose tissue and characterised using multiparameter flow cytometry. ADSC were then expanded in culture and used to produce 3D scaffold-free micro-tissue. Adipogenic differentiation potential of micro-tissue constructs were subsequently characterised using Oil Red O staining. Flow cytometric analysis showed ADSC were uniformly positive for CD34, CD73, CD90, and CD105, and negative for CD19, CD14, and CD45. The cells were functionally induced into adipocytes in the presence of appropriate conditioned media. We have demonstrated that adipose-derived stem cells have the ability to form of microtissue and survive in vitro. We postulate that in the future this will result in an ADSC population which is injectable and can extend the delivery options of current stem cell-based therapies.