ExAdEx: A simple method to maintain human adipose tissue in long-term cultures reveals differential expansion of adipose progenitor cell subpopulations in fibrotic and pro-inflammatory micro-environments.

Abstract

A relevant model to explore how to promote expansion of adipose progenitor cells (APCs) in lean and obese contexts is still lacking, as current adipocyte models have serious limitations. In this work, we describe a novel adipose tissue model, named ExAdEx, that can be obtained from cosmetic surgery wastes. ExAdEx products are adipose tissue units maintaining the characteristics and organization of adipose tissue as it presents in vivo. The model was viable and metabolically active up to two months and could adopt a pathological-like phenotype. It revealed that inflammatory and fibrotic micro-environments regulated expansion of the CD26 APC subpopulation and its CD54 and CD142 APC progenies differentially. The approach used significantly improves the method of generating adipose tissue models and ExAdEx constitutes a relevant model of human adipose tissue that could be used to identify pathways promoting expansion of APCs in physiological and pathological contexts.