Comparison of readily available scaffolds for adipose tissue engineering using adipose-derived stem cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate which of the three readily available scaffold materials would be suitable for adipose tissue engineering when implanted with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in vivo. ASCs isolated from green fluorescence protein (GFP) transgenic mice were incubated in an adipogenic medium and then seeded onto type I collagen sponge, non-woven polyglycolic acid or hyaluronic acid gel. The constructs were harvested and evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically 4 and 8 weeks after subcutaneous implantation into athymic mice. The gene expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPAR-gamma 2), the adipocyte-specific transcriptional factor, was also investigated by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Histological examination showed that more adipose-tissue-like construct was regenerated when using type I collagen sponge than when the other scaffolds were used. Moreover, immunohistostaining revealed that some of the adipocytes on the type I collagen construct expressed GFP. PPAR-gamma 2 gene expression in the induced ASCs in the type I collagen sponge was observed. These findings suggest that type I collagen sponge may be the most suitable among the three readily available scaffolds for adipogenesis. (C) 2009 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.