The role of adipose-derived stem cells in breast cancer progression and metastasis

Abstract

Conventional breast cancer extirpation involves resection of parts of or the whole gland, resulting in asymmetry and disfiguration. Given the unsatisfactory aesthetic outcomes, patients ofen desire postmastectomy reconstructive procedures. Autologous fat grafing has been proposed for reconstructive purposes for decades to restore form and anatomy afer mastectomy. Fat has the inherent advantage of being autologous tissue and the most natural-appearing fller, but given its inconsistent engrafment and retention rates, it lacks reliability. Implementation of autologous fat grafs with cellular adjuncts, such as multipotent adiposederived stem cells (ADSCs), has shown promising results. However, it is pertinent and critical to question whether these cells could promote any residual tumor cells to proliferate, differentiate, or metastasize or even induce de novo carcinogenesis. Tus far, preclinical and clinical study findings are discordant. A trend towards potential promotion of both breast cancer growth and invasion by ADSCs found in basic science studies was indeed not confrmed in clinical trials. Whether experimental findings eventually correlate with or will be predictive of clinical outcomes remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to concisely review current experimental findings on the interaction of mesenchymal stem cells and breast cancer, mainly focusing on ADSCs as a promising tool for regenerative medicine, and discuss the implications in clinical translation.