Divergent modulation of adipose-derived stromal cell differentiation by TGF-β1 based on species of derivation

Background: Adipose-derived stromal cells hold promise for skeletal tissue engineering. However, various studies have observed that adipose-derived stromal cells differ significantly in their biology depending on species of derivation. In the following study, the authors sought to determine the species-specific response of adipose-derived stromal cells to recombinant TGF-β1 (rTGF-β1). Methods: Adipose-derived stromal cells were derived from mouse and human sources. Recombinant TGF-β1 was added to culture medium (2.5 to 10 ng/ml); proliferation and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were assessed by standardized parameters, including cell counting, alkaline phosphatase, alizarin red, oil red O staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Recombinant TGF-β1 was found to significantly repress cellular proliferation in both mouse and human adipose-derived stromal cells (p < 0.01). Recombinant TGF-β1 was found to significantly repress osteogenic differentiation in mouse adipose-derived stromal cells. In contrast, osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal cells proceeded unimpeded in either the presence or the absence of rTGF-β1. Interestingly, rTGF-β1 induced expression of a number of osteogenic genes in human adipose-derived stromal cells, including BMP2 and BMP4. Conclusions: The authors' results further detail an important facet in which mouse and human adipose-derived stromal cells differ. Mouse adipose-derived stromal cell osteogenesis is completely inhibited by rTGF-β1, whereas human adipose-derived stromal cell osteogenesis progresses in the presence of rTGF-β1. These data highlight the importance of species of derivation in basic adipose-derived stromal cell biology. Future studies will examine in more detail the species-specific differences among adipose-derived stromal cell populations.