Research
Mixed
Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) are perivascular cells (pericytes) located around blood vessels, characterized by specific surface markers such as CD146+, NG2+, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA+).
ASCs are not randomly scattered; they are strategically located around blood vessels. This localization is key to their function in tissue repair and regeneration.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Increasing evidence suggests that MSCs from multiple human tissues, including WAT, are perivascular cells (pericytes)... Using immunostaining, Crisan et al. identified pericytes in multiple organs as CD146+, NG2+ CD140b+, alpha-SMA+, CD144-, vWF-, CD34-, and CD31- (121)... findings from several studies strongly suggest that ASCs are perivascular.
Why this rating
Based on multiple immunostaining and FACS studies (citations 21, 22, 121, 123, 124, 125).
Source
Adipose tissue stem cells meet preadipocyte commitment: going back to the future
William P. Cawthorn et al. · Journal of Lipid Research · 2011
DOI 10.1194/jlr.r021089
narrative_reviewCited 443×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- White adipose tissue (WAT) maintains adipocyte numbers through continuous renewal by committed preadipocytes (hyperplasia) rather than solely through hypertrophy of existing cells, with approximately 10% of adipocytes renewed annually.Good
- ASCs exhibit multipotency, differentiating into mesenchymal (adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes) and non-mesenchymal (neural, endothelial) cell types, though their in vivo functional capacity varies by tissue source and context.Good
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