title: Buccal fat pad, an oral access source of human adipose stem cells with potential for osteochondral tissue engineering: an in vitro study.
abstract: Stem cells offer an interesting tool for tissue engineering, but the clinical applications are limited by donor-site morbidity and low cell number upon harvest. Recent studies have identified an abundant source of stem cells in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) present in adipose tissue are able to differentiate to several lineages and express multiple growth factors, which makes them suitable for clinical application. Buccal fat pad (BFP), an adipose-encapsulated mass found in the oral cavity, could represent an easy access source for dentists and oral surgeons. The stromal vascular fraction obtained from fresh BFP-derived adipose tissue and passaged ASCs were analyzed to detect and quantify the percentage of ASCs in this tissue. Here we show that BFP contains a population of stem cells that share a similar phenotype with ASCs from abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue, and are also able to differentiate into the chondrogenic, adipogenic, and osteogenic lineage. These results define BFP as a new, rich, and accessible source of ASCs for tissue engineering purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farré-Guasch
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martí-Pagè
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernádez-Alfaro
authors.forename: Jenneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein-Nulend
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Casals
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002610:Cheek; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D055815:Young Adult