Ultra-structural morphology of long-term cultivated white adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

White adipose tissue was long perceived as a passive lipid storage depot but it is now considered as an active and important endocrine organ. It also harbours not only adipocytes and vascular cells but also a wide array of immunologically active cells, including macrophages and lymphocytes, which may induce obesity-related inflammation. Recently, adipose tissue has been reported as a source of adult mesenchymal stem cells with wide use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.