Bone Marrow is an Important Contributor to Human Adipogenesis. Homo sapiens

Because human adipocytes display a high turnover rate throughout adulthood, a continuous supply of adipocyte precursor cells is required to maintain adipogenesis. In humans who have undergone allogeneic bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation, we show using different techniques, including exome sequencing of single mature adipocytes, that over the entire life span, BM/PBSC-derived progenitor cells contribute ~10% to subcutaneous adipocytes via differentiation or cell fusion. While this is independent of gender, age and adipose morphology, body fat mass exerts a strong influence evidenced by the up to 2.5-fold increase in donor cell contribution in obese individuals. These findings highlight the role of BM/PBSC as a reservoir for adipocyte progenitors which might be used to treat conditions with severe adipose dysfunction.