MSC stands for multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Many sources still say mesenchymal stem cells, and the difference is not cosmetic. This article covers the definition, the criteria, and the dispute.
TLDR MSC means multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. A 2006 position statement set three laboratory criteria: plastic adherence, a defined surface marker profile, and differentiation into three cell types in culture. Stromal is preferred because the population does not appear to meet accepted stem cell criteria. No adipose-derived product is FDA approved, and banking does not guarantee eligibility, access, or clinical benefit.
Important Disclaimer: Save My Fat does not provide FDA-approved treatments or cures for any disease. Banking adipose tissue today does not guarantee eligibility, access, or clinical benefit from any future therapy, clinical trial, or medical program. No adipose-derived stem cell product currently has FDA approval for any condition. All content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Patients must consult their own licensed healthcare professionals regarding all medical decisions.
Anyone reading about adipose tissue banking meets the acronym MSC quickly. It appears in trial listings, abstracts, and marketing copy, often undefined.
The middle letter carries the argument. No adipose-derived product is FDA approved for any disease, and the agency roster of approved cellular therapies lists none. What follows is definition, not application.
What MSC actually stands for
MSC stands for multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. A 2005 nomenclature statement proposed these plastic-adherent cells “be termed multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, while the term mesenchymal stem cells is used only for cells that meet specified stem cell criteria.”
ASC means adipose-derived stromal and stem cells. SVF means stromal vascular fraction. Sources on mesenchymal stromal cells mix all three.
Why researchers moved away from “stem cells”
The population does not clear the bar. The 2005 statement found its recognized biologic properties “do not seem to meet generally accepted criteria for stem cell activity, rendering the name scientifically inaccurate and potentially misleading to the lay public.”
A 2019 ISCT update held that MSC means stromal cells “unless rigorous evidence for stemness exists that can be supported by both in vitro and in vivo data,” and that the acronym should name the source tissue.
Caplan 2017 urged renaming them Medicinal Signaling Cells, citing marketing: “the fact that MSCs are called ‘stem cells’ is being used to infer that patients will receive direct medical benefit.”
The three criteria a cell must meet
All three happen in a laboratory. The 2006 position statement set them out: “First, MSC must be plastic-adherent when maintained in standard culture conditions. Second, MSC must express CD105, CD73 and CD90, and lack expression of CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79alpha or CD19 and HLA-DR surface molecules. Third, MSC must differentiate to osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts in vitro.”
Table 1 of that paper adds thresholds: at least 95 percent of the population must express CD105, CD73 and CD90, and 2 percent or fewer may express the negative markers, measured by flow cytometry.
One entry confuses readers. The 2006 abstract writes HLA-DR, while Table 1 of the same paper writes HLA class II. Both refer to the same surface molecules an MSC population must lack, so the accurate form is HLA-DR (HLA class II).
How adipose cells differ from bone marrow MSCs
Fat-derived cells are not marrow cells. A 2013 IFATS joint statement named two markers to separate them: “CD36 (GPIIIb) and CD106 (VCAM-1), because it has been published that ASCs, in contrast to MSCs, do not express CD106 but are positive for CD36.”
The same statement profiles ASCs as negative, under 2 percent, for CD11b and CD45, and positive, over 90 percent, for CD13, CD73 and CD90. CD34 expression “greatly depends on the culture condition.”
Stem and progenitor cells make up less than 0.1 percent of the stromal vascular fraction. The authors call those table values “recommended guidelines only,” not industry standards or regulatory definitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are mesenchymal stem cells and stromal cells the same thing?
They are the same cells under different claims. The 2005 statement kept the stem cell label for cells meeting specified stem cell criteria; the ISCT minimal criteria cover the rest.
Does meeting these criteria mean FDA approval?
No. The criteria describe a cell population, not a regulatory status. Adipose-derived cell work remains investigational and early stage, no adipose-derived product is FDA approved for any disease, and the FDA consumer alert states that stem cell products generally require FDA approval. Ask a licensed healthcare provider.
Are cells in preserved adipose tissue already MSCs?
Not under this definition, which begins with plastic adherence in standard culture. Preserved tissue is tissue, not a characterized cell population. Save My Fat preserves a patient’s own adipose tissue, and any future use depends on FDA regulatory status and physician guidance.
Key Takeaways
MSC means multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Three criteria define it: plastic adherence in standard culture, a surface marker profile with numeric thresholds, and differentiation to osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts in vitro. Stromal is preferred because the population does not appear to meet accepted stem cell criteria. CD36 and CD106 separate fat-derived cells from marrow cells, and no adipose-derived product is FDA approved.
Save My Fat operates as a tissue preservation service, not a medical practice or treatment provider. Stem cell and regenerative medicine regulations vary by state, including specific informed-consent and disclosure requirements in Florida, Utah, and Nevada governing tissue and stem cell services. Banking adipose tissue does not connect patients to any treatment pathway, and any future use depends on FDA regulatory status, physician guidance, and the availability of approved or investigational pathways at that time.
Readers weighing adipose tissue banking for potential future use can review current pricing or begin a conversation through the contact page.
Save My Fat partners with L2 Bio for laboratory processing and storage.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Legal and medical review including neurology and neurosurgery input is required before publication. Please consult your neurologist or neurosurgeon before making any decisions about adipose tissue banking or research participation.
About the author: Oscar Tellez is the founder and CEO of Save My Fat. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University. He has spent more than a decade in the regenerative medicine industry across product distribution, laboratory and vendor relationships, and provider training. He is not a licensed clinician, and this article is educational, not medical advice.
Related guide: the stem cell science glossary.
