Abstract
We evaluated the chondrocyte differentiation potential of dedifferentiated fat cells (DFATs) and adipose stem cells (ASCs) from the human buccal fat pad (BFP). We isolated the cells from two patients who underwent oral and maxillofacial surgery. Chondrocyte differentiation was evaluated based on gene and protein expression analysis in addition to histological analysis of DFATs and ASCs seeded in an atelocollagen sponge and cultured for up to 21 days. The gene expression levels of chondrocyte differentiation markers such as aggrecan, collagen type 2, and SOX9 were higher in DFATs than in ASCs cultured for 14 and 21 days, whereas protein expression levels were higher in DFATs at all time points tested. Additionally, the levels of the embryonic stem cell markers Nanog, SOX2, and OCT4 were higher in DFATs than in ASCs at 72 h. The extracellular matrix of both the cultured ASCs and DFATs was Alcian blue-positive, indicating production of sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and was aggrecan-positive.
The chondrocyte differentiation ability of human DFATs was higher than that of ASCs. Isolation of DFATs from the BFP offers an aesthetic advantage, as the BFP can be obtained from the oral cavity without surface scarring. Therefore, we propose that BFP-derived DFATs are an ideal cell source for cartilage tissue engineering. This study provides evidence that DFATs from the BFP are an ideal cell source for cartilage tissue engineering.
