Expert Rev Mol Med

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are considered a great alternative source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Unlike bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), ASCs can be retrieved in high numbers from lipoaspirate, a by-product of liposuction procedures. Given that ASCs represent an easily accessible and abundant source of multipotent cells, ASCs have garnered attention and curiosity from both scientific and clinical communities for their potential in clinical applications. Furthermore, their unique immunobiology and secretome are attractive therapeutic properties. A decade since the discovery of a stem cell reservoir residing within adipose tissue, ASC-based clinical trials have grown over the years around the world along with assessments made on their safety and efficacy. With the progress of ASCs into clinical applications, the aim towards producing clinical-grade ASCs becomes increasingly important. Several countries have recognised the growing industry of cell therapies and have developed regulatory frameworks to assure their safety. With more research efforts made to understand their effects in both scientific and clinical settings, ASCs hold great promise as a future therapeutic strategy in treating a wide variety of diseases. Therefore, this review seeks to highlight the clinical applicability of ASCs as well as their progress in clinical trials across various medical disciplines Exp Dermatol. 2014 May 7. doi: 10.1111/exd.12432. [Epub ahead of print] Mesenchymal stem cell therapies: the quest for fine-tuning. Goodrich AD, Hematti P. Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a vastly unharnessed therapeutic potential with close to 400 studies currently registered on clinicaltrials.gov for evaluation of their clinical promises. While many of these investigations are for immune-mediated disorders, there is no established consensus on how to optimize the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs. Factors that could be used to predict efficacy of MSC therapies include donor heterogeneity, recipient environment, and drug interactions. Incorporating pertinent quality control parameters to maximize the clinical potential of MSCs through good manufacturing practice (GMP) production of clinical grade cells could lead to the realization of greater therapeutic success. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Cell Transplant. 2014 May 6. [Epub ahead of print] Characteristics and Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue. Carelli S, Messaggio F, Canazza A, Hebda DM, Caremoli F, Latorre E, Grimoldi MG, Colli M, Bulfamante G, Tremolada C, Giulio AM, Gorio A.