Minireviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Nov 26, 2021; 13(11): 1747-1761
Published online Nov 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i11.1747
Application of adipose-derived stem cells in treating fibrosis
Zhu-Jun Li, Li-Quan Wang, Yun-Zhu Li, Chen-Yu Wang, Jiu-Zuo Huang, Nan-Ze Yu, Xiao Long
Zhu-Jun Li, Li-Quan Wang, Yun-Zhu Li, Chen-Yu Wang, Jiu-Zuo Huang, Nan-Ze Yu, Xiao Long, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Author contributions: Long X and Li ZJ designed the report; Li ZJ, Wang LQ, Li YZ, Wang CY, Huang JZ and Yu NZ collected data and wrote the paper; all authors actively reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the finally submitted manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81670444; and the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS), No. 2020-I2M-C&T-A-004.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao Long, MD, PhD, Doctor, Professor, Surgeon, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China. pumclongxiao@126.com
Received: February 25, 2021
Peer-review started: February 25, 2021
First decision: May 5, 2021
Revised: May 18, 2021
Accepted: November 15, 2021
Article in press: November 15, 2021
Published online: November 26, 2021
Processing time: 272 Days and 19.4 Hours
Abstract

Fibrosis is the hyperactivation of fibroblasts that results in excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix, which is involved in numerous pathological changes and diseases. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are promising seed cells for regenerative medicine due to their bountiful source, low immunogenicity and lack of ethical issues. Their anti-fibrosis, immunomodulation, angiogenesis and other therapeutic effects have made them suitable for treating fibrosis-related diseases. Here, we review the literature on ASCs treating fibrosis, elaborate and discuss their mechanisms of action, changes in disease environment, ways to enhance therapeutic effects, as well as current preclinical and clinical studies, in order to provide a general picture of ASCs treating fibrotic diseases.

Keywords: Adipose-derived stem cells; Fibrosis; Immunomodulation; Modification; Therapeutic effect; Clinical trials

Core Tip: Fibrosis is involved in various diseases. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are promising candidates for regenerative medicine and anti-fibrosis treatment. We herein discuss the mechanisms of action, changes in disease environment, ways to enhance therapeutic effects, as well as current preclinical and clinical studies of ASCs treating fibrotic diseases in order to provide a general picture.