The phenotype and tissue-specific nature of multipotent cells derived from human mature adipocytes

Dedifferentiated fat (DFAT) cells derived from mature adipocytes have been considered to be a homogeneous group of multipotent cells, which present to be an alternative source of adult stem cells for regenerative medicine. However, many aspects of the cellular nature about DFAT cells remained unclarified. This study aimed to elucidate the basic characteristics of DFAT cells underlying their functions and differentiation potentials. By modified ceiling culture technique, DFAT cells were converted from human mature adipocytes from the human buccal fat pads. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that those derived cells were a homogeneous population of CD13(+) CD29(+) CD105(+) CD44(+) CD31(-) CD34(-) CD309(-) α-SMA(-) cells. DFAT cells in this study demonstrated tissue-specific differentiation properties with strong adipogenic but much weaker osteogenic capacity. Neither did they express endothelial markers under angiogenic induction.