Adipose-derived stromal cells for osteoarticular repair: trophic function versus stem cell activity

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Stem Cell Biology
• Tissue Engineering
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Multipotent adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC) are abundant and accessible, presenting a promising alternative to bone-marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSC) for tissue regeneration.
• While both ASC and BMSC originate from a common mesenchymal progenitor in a perivascular niche, subtle functional differences exist.
• This review focuses on bone and cartilage repair, evaluating the potential of ASC in these applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review in vitro and in vivo studies on ASC for osteochondral regeneration.
• To compare the regenerative potential of ASC with BMSC, focusing on bone and cartilage repair.
• To determine if ASC's therapeutic efficacy relies on stem cell activity or trophic factors.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of recent in vitro and in vivo studies.
• Comparative analysis of ASC and BMSC functional properties.
• Evaluation of gene expression signatures related to osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Main Results:

• ASC exhibit advantages in accessibility, yield, and growth properties compared to BMSC.
• ASC show inferiority to BMSC in forming ectopic bone and stimulating long-bone healing.
• ASC possess a less pronounced osteogenic and angiogenic gene expression profile than BMSC.

Conclusions:

• The therapeutic success of ASC in osteochondral regeneration may depend more on their trophic activity than their intrinsic stem cell properties.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying ASC-mediated bone and cartilage repair.
• Understanding the balance between stem cell and trophic activity is crucial for optimizing ASC-based therapies.