Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Source-dependent heterogeneity, translational challenges, and emerging precision strategies

doi:10.4252/wjsc.v18.i4.117414

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Apr 26, 2026 (publication date) through Apr 22, 2026

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World Journal of Stem Cells

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1948-0210

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Stem Cells. Apr 26, 2026; 18(4): 117414
Published online Apr 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v18.i4.117414

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Source-dependent heterogeneity, translational challenges, and emerging precision strategies

Qing Xu, Huan Li, Jian-Chuan Deng, Nan Zhang

Qing Xu, Huan Li, Jian-Chuan Deng, Nan Zhang, Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China

Co-first authors: Qing Xu and Huan Li.

Co-corresponding authors: Jian-Chuan Deng and Nan Zhang.

Author contributions: Xu Q and Li H contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. Xu Q collected and reviewed the literature and drafted the manuscript; Li H assisted with literature collection and manuscript revision; Deng JC and Zhang N contributed equally as co-corresponding authors. Deng JC conceptualized the study and revised the manuscript; Zhang N designed the study and supervised the manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Corresponding author: Nan Zhang, Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 288 Tianwen Avenue, Nan’an District, Chongqing 400010, China. zhangnan@hospital.cqmu.edu.cn

Received: December 8, 2025
Revised: January 25, 2026
Accepted: February 25, 2026
Published online: April 26, 2026
Processing time: 135 Days and 3.2 Hours

Core Tip

Core Tip: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells are a heterogeneous cell population whose biological and therapeutic properties are strongly influenced by donor background, adipose tissue origin, and manufacturing conditions. This review summarizes source-dependent differences in proliferation, differentiation, immunomodulation, and secretome composition, and highlights key challenges in standardization and clinical translation. Emerging approaches, including single-cell profiling, multi-omics analysis, and cell-free secretome-based therapy, may improve the precision and reproducibility of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-based regenerative strategies.