Adipose tissue progenitor cell

Adipose tissue progenitor cells are a heterogeneous group of stem/progenitor cells found mainly in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue. They are responsible for the generation, maintenance, and regeneration of adipocytes throughout life. These cells can differentiate into white, beige, or (in some contexts) brown fat cells, and may also give rise to fibroblastic or inflammatory lineages under certain conditions. Their identity is typically defined by a combination of cell surface and transcriptional markers, including CD24, Sca1, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, and CD34, among others. They play a key role in regulating adipose tissue expansion (especially in response to energy imbalance), modulation of local inflammation, and tissue remodeling. In obesity, their behavior and differentiation potential are altered, which can contribute to adipose tissue dysfunction, fibrosis, and associated metabolic disorders. They are targets for drugs that modulate adipogenesis, such as thiazolidinediones—but are not a single, specific molecular therapeutic target in the traditional sense, and "adipose tissue progenitor cell" refers to a diverse cellular population rather than a single receptor, enzyme, or protein.

Other names

adipose progenitor cellpreadipocyteadipocyte progenitoradipose-derived stem cellADSCstromal vascular fraction progenitorSVF progenitormesenchymal progenitor cell

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists: promote differentiation of progenitor cells into adipocytes Wnt signaling modulators: influence self-renewal or differentiation fate