The hematopoietic potential of stem cells from the adipose tissue

Adipose tissue (AT) contains adipose stromal cells (ASCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), both cell types contributing to confer an immune and a hematopoietic function to this abundant tissue. Indeed, ASCs, considered as the counterparts of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), support hematopoiesis both in vitro and in vivo, although with specificities compared with BM-MSCs. HSCs localized within the AT exhibit a specific hematopoietic activity leading to the generation of myeloid cells that control AT homeostasis. In addition, the ability of ASCs and immune cells derived from AT-HSCs to leave the AT and migrate towards injured tissues supports a critical role for these cells in repair process and make the AT a physiological reservoir of therapeutic cells.