FIG. 12.

A simple model illustrating the four different phases during adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs and how cells respond to bFGF differently in different phases, resulting in distinct outcomes in adipogenic differentiation. During mitotic phase, bFGF help expand cells capable of committing to adipocytes; during growth arrest, the effect of bFGF is minimum with overall effect trending slightly upward; during adipogenic commitment phase, bFGF strongly inhibits adipogenic differentiation; and during lipogenesis phase, bFGF appears to “diffuse” total oil droplets into greater number of cells. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/scd