A Xenogeneic-Free Protocol for Isolation and Expansion of Human Adipose Stem Cells for Clinical Uses

Human adipose stem cells (hASCs) play a crucial role in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering for different reasons: the abundance of adipose tissue, their easy harvesting, the ability to multipotent differentiation and the fact that they do not trigger allogeneic blood response or secrete cytokines that act as immunosuppressants. The vast majority of protocols use animal origin reagents, with the underlying risk of transmitting infections by non-human pathogens. We have designed a protocol to isolate and maintain the properties of hASCs avoiding xenogeneic reagents. These changes not only preserve hASCs morphology, but also increase cell proliferation and maintain their stem cell marker profile. On the other hand, human serum albumin (HSA), Tryple® and human Serum (HS), do not affect hASCs multipotent differentiation ability. The amendments introduced do not trigger modifications in the transcriptional profile of hASCs, alterations in key biochemical pathways or malignization. Thus, we have proven that it is possible to isolate and maintain hASCs avoiding animal reagents and, at the same time, preserving crucial culture parameters during long term culture. Thereby we have revealed a novel and effective tool for the improvement of clinical, cell-based therapies.