Mimicking lipolytic, adipogenic, and secretory capacities of human subcutaneous adipose tissue by spheroids from distinct subpopulations of adipose stromal/stem cells

Research Overview

Engineered adipose tissue can provide 3D models for obesity and type II diabetes, and distinct adipose stem/stromal cell subpopulations have recently been identified in subcutaneous fat: superficial, deep, and the superficial retinacula cutis. This study cultured each subpopulation as 3D spheroids, induced adipogenesis, and applied lipopolysaccharide as a pro-inflammatory stimulus.

Using abdominal subcutaneous tissue from aesthetic surgery, spheroids from the superficial layer responded most strongly to adipogenic induction. All spheroids increased lipolysis under LPS, but those from the deep layer did so significantly more than superficial (p = 0.0045) or retinacula cutis spheroids (p = 0.0005) — the subpopulations differ functionally, not just anatomically.