With the increasing prevalence of obesity in our society, fat tissue is all too abundant. Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles have pointed out a silver lining to this dark cloud. Fat tissue is also rich in stem cells, most commonly termed ‘adipose-derived stromal cells.’ These cells, with the appropriate molecular cues, are able to form other tissue types, including bone, muscle, cartilage, among others.

In the laboratory of Dr. Soo, researchers are honing down on the optimum combination of molecular cues necessary for converting fat into bone tissue. These include combining two potent growth factors: Sonic Hedgehog and Nell-1. Nell-1 is a molecule of interest for the Soo laboratory, discovered to have osteogenic (bone-forming) activity by its presence in a childhood disease of overzealous bone formation (craniosynostosis). As they report in Stem Cells and Development, either Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) or Nell-1 are able to coax these stem cells to form bone. When added in combination, these two growth factors show a robust and additive enhancement over either alone. The authors went on to determine if there was any intersection between these two signaling pathways. In fact, data suggest that interfering with the Shh pathway interrupts Nell-1 from having its usual effect.

James et al. and others argue that fat tissue is an attractive source of stem cells for future efforts in tissue regeneration. This recent publication suggests a new bone tissue-inducing ‘cocktail’ of growth factors for skeletal tissue engineering.