Adipose Stem Cell Function Maintained with Age: An Intra-Subject Study of Long-Term Cryopreserved Cells
Background
The progressive decline in tissue mechanical strength that occurs with aging is hypothesized to be due to a loss of resident stem cell number and function. As such, there is concern regarding use of autologous adult stem cell therapy in older patients. To abrogate this, many patients elect to cryopreserve the adipose stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of lipoaspirate, which contains resident adipose stem cells (ASC). However, it is not clear yet if there is any clinical benefit from banking cells at a younger age.
Objectives
We performed a comparative analysis of SVF composition and ASC function from cells obtained under GMP conditions from the same three patients with time gap of 7 to 12 years.
Methods
SVF, cryobanked under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, was thawed and cell yield, viability, and cellular composition were assessed. In parallel, ASC proliferation and efficiency of tri-lineage differentiation were evaluated.
Results
The results showed no significant differences existed in cell yield and SVF subpopulation composition within the same patient between harvest procedures 7 to 12 years apart. Further, no change in proliferation rates of cultured ASCs was found, and expanded cells from all patients were capable of tri-lineage differentiation.
Conclusions
By harvesting fat from the same patient at two time points, we have shown that despite the natural human aging process, the prevalence and functional activity of ASCs in an adult mesenchymal stem cell, is highly preserved.
Related Projects
- Published on Jul 11, 2023Aesthetic surgery fellowship applications were consolidated under the San Francisco Match in 2018. The impact of these changes on aesthetic program and applicant numbers had not yet been investigated.
- Published on Aug 10, 2021Despite existing anthropometric data in the literature regarding the variation of female external genital anatomy, the ideal aesthetic characteristics have yet to be defined.
- Published on Aug 14, 2020Aesthetic surgery is a critical component of academic plastic surgery. As institutions are placing increased focus on aesthetic surgery, there is an opportunity to identify factors that facilitate the creation and maintenance of successful aesthetic...