Background Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs), possessing multipotent differentiation potential, hold considerable promise for clinical stem cell therapy applications. ADSCs isolated from obese individuals may exhibit differences compared to those derived from individuals of normal weight. Methods Adipose tissues were collected from donors with body mass index (BMI) values within the standard range (Group N) and the obese range (Group O), respectively. ADSCs were isolated from these tissues. The proliferative capacity, phenotypic characteristics, and functional properties of the derived ADSCs were comparatively assessed. To mimic the inflammatory microenvironment of adipose tissue in obese individuals in vitro, ADSCs from Group N were prestimulated with inflammatory cytokines and designated as Group Pre, followed by assessment of their phenotypic characteristics and functional properties. Proteomic analysis was performed on the conditioned medium collected from the ADSCs cultures. Results ADSCs of Group N exhibited stronger proliferation capacity than Group O. However, Group N demonstrated lower adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential compared to Group O, along with reduced expression of stemness‐associated surface markers and genes. Compared to Group N, Group Pre showed no significant change in proliferative capacity; however, it exhibited enhanced adipogenic and osteogenic potential. Both the surface markers and gene expression associated with stemness shifted toward a more stem‐like phenotype. Proteomic analysis of culture supernatants revealed differentially expressed proteins between Group N and Group O related to cellular basal metabolism, which were also enriched in functions associated with inflammatory and immune responses. Conclusion Regarding stem cell characteristics, ADSCs isolated from the human lumbar subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese individuals may exhibit enhanced differentiation potential compared to those derived from individuals of standard weight. This phenomenon may be attributed to the infiltration of inflammatory factors within the pathophysiological microenvironment of the former. This finding provides a novel strategy for autologous stem cell‐based therapies.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.