Abstract
This work aims to characterize a new method to recover low-manipulated human adipose tissue, enriched with adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ATD-MSCs) for autologous use in regenerative medicine applications. Lipoaspirated fat collected from patients was processed through Lipocell, a Class II-a medical device for dialysis of adipose tissue, by varying filter sizes and washing solutions. ATD-MSC yield was measured with flow cytometry after stromal vascular fraction (SVF) isolation in fresh and cultured samples. Purification from oil and blood was measured after centrifugation with spectrophotometer analysis. Extracellular matrix preservation was assessed through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and biochemical assay for total collagen, type-2 collagen, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) quantification. Flow cytometry showed a two-fold increase of ATD-MSC yield in treated samples in comparison with untreated lipoaspirate; no differences where reported when varying filter size. The association of dialysis and washing thoroughly removed blood and oil from samples. Tissue architecture and extracellular matrix integrity were unaltered after Lipocell processing. Dialysis procedure associated with Ringer’s lactate preserves the proliferation ability of ATD-MSCs in cell culture. The characterization of the product showed that Lipocell is an efficient method for purifying the tissue from undesired byproducts and preserving ATD-MSC vitality and extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, resulting in a promising tool for regenerative medicine applications.