Obese-derived ASCs show impaired migration and angiogenesis properties

Efficient delivery of stem cells to target tissues is a major problem in regenerative medicine. Adipose derived stem cells have been proposed as important tools in cell therapy for recovering tissues after damage. Nevertheless, the ability of these ASCs to migrate or invade in order to reach the tissue of interest has not been tested so far. In this study we present evidence that the ASCs derived from obese subjects present a detrimental ability to migrate and invade in comparison with ASCs derived from control subjects. Besides, obese-derived ASCs are unable to respond to certain stimuli and to form enough capillaries after stimulation. We propose that the use of specific cytokines could overcome these deficiencies of the obese environment, offering a tool to optimize cell therapy.