© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 199
P.V. Pham (ed.), Stem Cell Processing, Stem Cells in Clinical Applications,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40073-0_10
Chapter 10
Harvesting and Collection of Adipose
Tissue for the Isolation of Adipose-Derived
Stromal/Stem Cells
Fiona A. van Vollenstee , Danie Hoffmann , and Michael S. Pepper
10.1 Introduction
A stem cell is defi ned by its characteristics to self-renew and differentiate along one
or more lineage pathways. These unspecialized cells have the potential to develop
into many different cell types in the body during their lifespan, serving as an inter-
nal repair system. Even after long periods in quiescence, stem cells retain the ability
to divide, and the two daughter cells have the potential to either remain a stem cell
within the stem cell niche or to develop into a more specialized cell with specifi c
cell functions.
Adipose tissue, like bone marrow, is derived from the embryonic mesoderm and
contains a heterogeneous population of cells (Zuk et al. 2001 ). Adult mesenchymal
stromal/stem cells (MSCs), present in many tissues in small numbers, are required
to restore normal tissue function via repair and regeneration mechanisms (Jones
et al. 2002 ). Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells have been successfully isolated from
many postnatal organs and tissues, namely, the bone marrow (Friedenstein et al.
1968 ), placenta (Takahashi et al. 2004 ), umbilical cord blood (Kern et al. 2006 ),
dermis, dental pulp (deciduous teeth, wisdom teeth, or permanent teeth) (Gronthos
et al. 2000 ), hair follicles, pericytes, trabecular bone, infrapatellar fat pad, articular
cartilage, Wharton’s jelly within the umbilical cord (Fong et al. 2007 ), fetal liver
(Fukuchi et al. 2004 ), and also from adipose tissue (Zuk et al. 2001 ). The cells
derived from these sources share similar and distinct properties (Dominici et al.
2006 ; Sarugaser et al. 2009 ; Si et al. 2010 ). However, despite various successful
F. A. van Vollenstee • M. S. Pepper (*)
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular
Medicine and SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy ,
University of Pretoria , Pretoria , South Africa
e-mail: [email protected]
D. Hoffmann
Private Practice , Pretoria , South Africa