Effect of Serial Passaging on the Morphology and Biological Characteristics of Human Adipose Tissue-derived Stem Cells

Somatic stem cells posses an exclusive property of self regeneration and plasticity which makes them promising candidates for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In the case of stem cell therapy it is crucial to obtain them in sufficient amount. That's why they have to be cultured under in vitro conditions. Long term culture provides adequate number of cells, but on the other hand it is associated with increased risk of spontaneous cell transformation. In this study we analyzed the effect of serial passaging (up to 10th passage) on the morphological and selected biological characteristics of human stem cells isolated from adipose tissue in respect to potential malignant transformation. Obtained results showed that human adipose tissue-derived stem cells maintained their morphological and biological properties during 10 passages and after performing further tests mainly addressed the cytogenetic stability and expression of regulators of cell cycle, senescence and apoptosis, they should be safely used in clinical practice.