Isolation of HSCs and MSCs requires bone marrow
aspiration, which can be associated with low numbers of cells
isolated, pain, and morbidity. Along this line, adipose tissue
throughout the body is primarily derived from embryonic
mesenchyme and contains easily harvested stroma. Surgeons
routinely perform body adipose liposuction, and volumes of
several hundred milliliters can be obtained during a single
procedure. Using this rationale, Zuk et al.7 analyzed adipocyte
stromal cells obtained from human lipoaspirates and assayed
for the presence of stem cells. They found a population of
adherent cells similar to marrow-derived MSCs that showed
similar cell surface marker expression. Furthermore, they
showed that these cells were capable of differentiating toward
muscle, bone, cartilage, and adipose cell fates