Autocrine fibroblast growth factor 2 signaling is critical for self-renewal of human multipotent adipose-derived stem cells.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells offer tremendous potential for regenerative medicine. However, characterization of their self-renewal ability has not been performed yet, although it is a crucial feature for in vitro expansion of undifferentiated cells and in vivo maintenance of stem cell pools. We have undertaken the identification of molecular events that are involved in in vitro self-renewal of human multipotent adipose-derived stem (hMADS) cells from young donors, by assessing their proliferation rate, their ability to grow at the single-cell level (clonogenicity), and their differentiation potential. As hMADS cells are propagated in culture, cell morphology changes dramatically, concomitantly to a progressive decrease in proliferation, clonogenicity, and differentiation potential. This decrease is associated with a decrease in fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression and can be circumvented by chronic treatment with exogenous FGF2. Moreover, analysis of FGF2 secretion revealed that it is exported to hMADS cell surface without being released into the culture medium, suggesting a strictly autocrine loop. Indeed, treatment of FGF2-expressing hMADS cells with PD173074, a specific FGF receptor inhibitor, decreases dramatically their clonogenicity and differentiation potential. Thus, hMADS cells express a functional autocrine FGF loop that allows maintenance of their self-r

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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