CD304+ adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell abundance in autologous fat grafts highly correlates with improvement of localized pain syndromes

Surgery, burns or surgery-free accident are leading causes of scars with altered tissue consistency, a reduced degree of motion and pain. Autologous fat grafting can dramatically improve tissue consistency and elasticity but less frequently results in the reduction of pain. Therefore, we analyzed different cell populations present within the adipose tissue to be engrafted and correlated them with the reduction of pain after surgery. Here, we identify a population of CD3(-)CD4(-)CD304(+) cells present in grafted adipose tissue, whose abundance highly correlates with pain improvement shortly after surgery (r(2) = 0.7243****) as well as persistently over time (3 months later: r(2) = 0.6277****, 1 year later: r(2) = 0.5346***, and 4 years later: r(2) = 0.5223***). These cells are characterized by the absence of the hematopoietic marker CD45, whereas they express CD90 and CD34, which characterize mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs); the concomitant presence of CD10 and CD73 in the plasma membrane supports a function of these cells in pain reduction. We deduce that the enrichment of this adipose tissue-derived MSC subset could enhance the therapeutic properties of adipose grafts and ameliorate localized pain syndromes.