Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells with the ability to differentiate into mesoderm-type cells such as osteoblasts, chondroblast, tenocytes etc. They can be retrieved by different sources, but the number of cells obtained suggested the adipose tissue as a primary harvest site of MSCs. Cells can be harvested using the Coleman procedure, obtaining stromal vascular fraction (SVF), enriched with MSCs, after collagenase digestion. The availability of SVF storage has been envisioned for multiple treatments of the degenerated tissue. Indeed, the use of SVF has been introduced into clinical trials for tissue regeneration for orthopaedic patients. Difficulties of a selective delivery of SVF locally have been previously discussed. Thus, the use of biological scaffolds in order to better localize SVF in the tissue site has been studied. The methodological evolution for the use of SVF in the best possible biological conditions is a milestone for good clinical results.

Intra-articular infusions of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a promising tool for bone regenerative medicine, thanks to their multilineage differentiating ability. One major limitation of ASCs is represented by the necessity to be isolated and expanded through in vitro culture, thus a strong interest was generated by the adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF), the non-cultured fraction of ASCs. Besides the easiness of retrieval, handling and good availability, SVF is a heterogeneous population able to differentiate in vitro into osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes, according to the different stimuli received. We investigated and compared the bone regenerative potential of SVF and ASCs, through their ability to grow on SmartBone^®, a composite xenohybrid bone scaffold. SVF plated on SmartBone^® showed better osteoinductive capabilities than ASCs. Collagen I, osteocalcin and TGF↕ markedly stained the new tissue on SmartBone^®; microCT analysis indicated a progressive increase in mineralised tissue apposition by quantification of newly formed trabeculae (3391 ± 270,5 vs 1825 ± 133,4, p± 0,001); an increased secretion of soluble factors stimulating osteoblasts, as VEGF (153,5 to 1278,1 pg/ml) and endothelin 1 (0,43 to 1,47 pg/ml), was detected over time. In conclusion, the usage of SVF, whose handling doesn't require manipulation in an in vitro culture, could definitively represent a benefit for a larger use in clinical applications. Our data strongly support an innovative idea for a bone regenerative medicine based on resorbable scaffold seeded with SVF, which will improve the precision of stem cells implant and the quality of new bone formation.