Isolation of human adipose-derived stem cells from biopsies and liposuction specimens

Adipose tissue has proven to serve as an abundant, accessible, and rich source of adult stem cells with multipotent properties suitable for tissue engineering and regenerative medical applications. Here, we describe a detailed method for the isolation and expansion of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). We present a large scale procedure suitable for processing >100 mL volumes of lipoaspirate tissue specimens and a small scale procedure suitable for processing adipose tissue biopsy specimens of < 0.5 g. Although we have focused on the isolation of ASCs from human adipose tissue, the procedure can be applied to adipose tissues from other species with minimal modifications.