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Review
. 2014 Jul 8:3:345.
doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-345. eCollection 2014.

Adult adipose-derived stem cells and breast cancer: a controversial relationship

Alessandra Bielli  1 , Maria Giovanna Scioli  1 , Pietro Gentile  2 , Sara Agostinelli  1 , Chiara Tarquini  1 , Valerio Cervelli  2 , Augusto Orlandi  1
Affiliations
Review

Adult adipose-derived stem cells and breast cancer: a controversial relationship

Alessandra Bielli et al. Springerplus. .

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and autologous fat grafting is an important clinical application in treatment of post-surgical deformities. The simplicity of fat grafting procedures and the absence of subsequent visible scar prompted an increasing interest for this technique. The plasticity of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) obtained from stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adult adipose tissue provided exciting perspectives for regenerative medicine and surgery. The recent discovery that SVF/ASC enrichment further ameliorates clinical efficacy of grafting ASCs suggest as ASC-mediated new adipogenesis and vasculogenesis. ASC adipogenic differentiation involves Akt activity and EGFRs, FGFRs, ERbB2 receptor-mediated pathways that also play a pivotal role in the regulation of breast cancer growth. Moreover, the finding that platelet-derived growth factors and hormones improved long-term maintenance of fat grafting raises new concerns for their use during breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. However, it remains unclear whether grafted or resident ASCs may increase the risk of de novo cancer development or recurrence. Preliminary follow-up studies seem to support the efficacy and safety of SVF/ASCs enrichment and the additional benefit from the combined use of autologous platelet-derived growth factors and hormones during breast reconstruction procedures. In the present review we highlighted the complex interplay between resident or grafted ASCs, mature adipocytes, dormant or active breast cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. Actually, data concerning the permissive role of ASCs on breast cancer progression are contrasting, although no clear evidence speaking against their use exists.

Keywords: Adipose-derived stem cell; Akt; Breast cancer; Breast reconstruction; Carcinogenesis; Fat grafting; Stromal vascular fraction.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Microscopic characterization of human breast adipose tissue. A, Normal mammary adipose tissue after Haematoxylin and Eosin staining. Scale bar, 100 μm. B, transmission electron microscopy image of human breast adipose tissue showing perivascular adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) surrounding a small blood vessel with endothelial cells (EC). Scale bar, 10 μm. C, Under fluorescence microscopy, vascular endothelial cells are vonWillenbrand positive (red fluorescence) in the breast adipose tissue, whereas D, adipose-derived stem cell are CD44 positive (green fluorescence). E, Merged image shows that CD44 positive cells reside around endothelial cells of small blood vessels in breast adipose tissue. Nuclei are stained with Hoechst. Scale bar, 100 μm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phenotypic analysis of human adipose-derived stem cells. A and B, Flow cytometry depicting the diffuse expression of CD90 and CD44 stromal markers. C and D, Immunofluorescence staining revealing the strong expression of CD44 and CD90 in cultured ASCs. Nuclei are stained with Hoechst. Scale bar, 50 μm E, Phase contrast micrograph shows the typical elongated shape of adipose-derived stem cells in serum cultures. Scale bar, 150 μm F, Transmission electron microscopy image showing adipose-derived stem cell with the presence of intracytoplasmic lipid droplet electron dense (arrow heads). Scale bar, 10 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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