The Role of Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Dysfunction in the Transition from Obesity to Diabetes

Kato Jumba K.

Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Uganda

                                                                                        ABSTRACT
Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), also called adipose stromal/stem cells, reside in the stromal vascular fraction of white adipose tissue and are essential for adipose tissue plasticity, healthy expansion and immunometabolic balance. In physiological states, ADSCs support adipocyte turnover, promote angiogenesis and exert immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory actions, allowing subcutaneous fat to buffer caloric excess without provoking systemic insulin resistance.In obesity, however, chronic nutrient overload, hypoxia, oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation converge on ADSCs, driving senescence, epigenetic reprogramming, loss of proliferative capacity and skewed differentiation. Human and animal studies show that obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are associated with early senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction in ADSCs, reduced clonogenicity and adipogenic potential, pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory secretomes and altered crosstalk with immune cells. These changes compromise adipose expandability, promote adipocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis and adipose inflammation and favor ectopic lipid deposition in liver and muscle, thereby accelerating the transition from obesity to insulin resistance and overt T2D. At the same time, ADSCs retain therapeutic potential: exogenous or rejuvenated ADSCs can ameliorate insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction in preclinical diabetes models through anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative mechanisms. This review synthesizes current evidence on how ADSC dysfunction contributes mechanistically to the obesity–diabetes transition, and discusses emerging strategies to preserve or restore ADSC function, including senescence-targeted interventions, niche modulation and cell-based therapies.

Keywords: adipose-derived stem cells; senescence; adipose plasticity; insulin resistance; type 2 diabetes.

CITE AS: Kato Jumba K. (2026). The Role of Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Dysfunction in the Transition from Obesity to Diabetes. Research Output Journal of Biological and Applied Science 6(1):41-47. https://doi.org/10.59298/ROJBAS/2026/614147