title: Neural potential of adipose stem cells.
abstract: In the last few years, adipose tissue, which has been largely ignored by anatomists and physicians for centuries, has found new brightness thanks to the stem cells contained within. These adipose derived stem cells (ADSC) have the same characteristics of the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) residing in bone marrow. They have the same cell surface markers and are capable of differentiating into the same cell types, including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myoblasts, adipocytes, and neuron-like cells. Adipose tissue is ubiquitous and uniquely expandable. Most patients possess excess fat that can be harvested, making adipose tissue the ideal large-scale source for research on clinical applications. In this review focused on the neural potential of adipose-derived stem cells. Current strategies for their isolation, differentiation, and in vitro characterization, as well as their latest in vivo applications for neurological disorders or injury repair, were discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Microbiology, and Medical Biotechnology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. barbara.zavan@unipd.it
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zavan
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vindigni
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gardin
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Avella
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Della Puppa
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abatangelo
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortivo
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*