Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fibro/Adipogenic Progenitors (FAPs): Isolation by FACS and Culture

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Muscle Stem Cells

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1556))

Abstract

Fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs ) are tissue-resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Current literature supports a role for these cells in the homeostasis and repair of multiple tissues suggesting that FAPs may have extensive therapeutic potential in the treatment of numerous diseases. In this context, it is crucial to establish efficient and reproducible procedures to purify FAP populations from various tissues. Here, we describe a protocol for the isolation and cell culture of FAPs from murine skeletal muscle using fluorescence -activated cell sorting (FACS), which is particularly useful for experiments where high cell purity is an essential requirement. Identification, isolation, and cell culture of FAPs represent powerful tools that will help us to understand the role of these cells in different conditions and facilitate the development of safe and effective new treatments for diseases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. da Silva Meirelles L, Chagastelles PC, Nardi NB (2006) Mesenchymal stem cells reside in virtually all post-natal organs and tissues. J Cell Sci 119:2204–2213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Joe AWB, Yi L, Natarajan A et al (2010) Muscle injury activates resident fibro/adipogenic progenitors that facilitate myogenesis. Nat Cell Biol 12:153–163

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Uezumi A, Ito T, Morikawa D et al (2011) Fibrosis and adipogenesis originate from a common mesenchymal progenitor in skeletal muscle. J Cell Sci 124:3654–3664

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wosczyna MN, Biswas AA, Cogswell CA et al (2012) Multipotent progenitors resident in the skeletal muscle interstitium exhibit robust BMP-dependent osteogenic activity and mediate heterotopic ossification. J Bone Miner Res 27:1004–1017

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lemos DR, Babaeijandaghi F, Low M et al (2015) Nilotinib reduces muscle fibrosis in chronic muscle injury by promoting TNF-mediated apoptosis of fibro/adipogenic progenitors. Nat Med 21:786–794

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Claudia Hopkins for her collaboration and figure construction. This work was funded by CIHR MOP-97856. M.L. was supported by a fellowship from the Chilean government, and C.E. was supported by a Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) by the University of British Columbia.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3

    Marcela Low, Christine Eisner & Fabio Rossi

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Marcela Low, Christine Eisner & Fabio Rossi

Authors
  1. Marcela Low
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christine Eisner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fabio Rossi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabio Rossi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cell Biology Group, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain

    Eusebio Perdiguero

  2. Division of Biological Sciences and Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    DDW Cornelison

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Low, M., Eisner, C., Rossi, F. (2017). Fibro/Adipogenic Progenitors (FAPs): Isolation by FACS and Culture. In: Perdiguero, E., Cornelison, D. (eds) Muscle Stem Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1556. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6771-1_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6771-1_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6769-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6771-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation