title: Adipose tissue stem cells: the great WAT hope.
abstract: The past decade has witnessed an explosion in research into adipose tissue stem cells (ASCs), facilitated by their ease of isolation from white adipose tissue (WAT) and fueled by their therapeutic potential. Recent developments have extended ASC multipotency to include endodermal and ectodermal cell types, as well as the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells. This expanding multipotency has been paralleled by burgeoning translational applications, ranging from tissue engineering to anti-cancer therapy, that are currently subject to clinical trials. However, this promise is tempered by potential pitfalls, such as tumorigenicity, and is further undermined by lingering uncertainties regarding the precise identity of ASCs. Confronting these issues will be essential if we are to bypass the pitfalls and develop the promises of ASCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Cawthorn
authors.forename: Erica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Scheller
authors.forename: Ormond A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: MacDougald
mesh_terms: D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*