Fighting fat with fat: the expanding field of adipose 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)

We are in the midst of a dire, unprecedented, and global epidemic of obesity and secondary sequelae, most prominently diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Underlying this epidemic is the most hated of cells, adipocytes, and their inherent dynamic ability to expand and renew. This capacity highlights a heretofore undefined stem compartment. Recent in vivo studies, relying upon lineage tracing and flow cytometry methods, have begun to unravel the identity of adipose stem cells, their niche, and the dynamism central to adipose expansion. Thus, the field is moving in a direction that may allow us to manipulate adipose stem cells to beneficial therapeutic ends.

Evidence level

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

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