A CCL2+DPP4+ subset of mesenchymal stem cells expedites aberrant formation of creeping fat in humans

Creeping fat is a typical feature of Crohn’s disease. It refers to the expansion of mesenteric adipose tissue around inflamed and fibrotic intestines and is associated with stricture formation and intestinal obstruction. In this study, we characterize creeping fat as pro-adipogenic and pro-fibrotic. Lipidomics analysis of Crohn’s disease patients (sixteen males, six females) and healthy controls (five males, ten females) reveals abnormal lipid metabolism in creeping fat. Through scRNA-seq analysis on mesenteric adipose tissue from patients (five males, one female) and healthy controls (two females), we identify a CCL2 + DPP4 + subset of mesenchymal stem cells that expands in creeping fat and expedites adipogenic differentiation into dystrophic adipocytes in response to CCL20 + CD14 + monocytes and IL-6, leading to the formation of creeping fat. Ex vivo experiments (tissues from five males, one female) confirm that both CCL20 + CD14 + monocytes and IL-6 activate DPP4 + mesenchymal stem cells towards a pro-adipogenic phenotype. This study provides a comprehensive investigation of creeping fat formation and offers a conceptual framework for discovering therapeutic targets for treatment of Crohn’s disease. Extra-intestinal “creeping fat” is a hallmark of Crohn’s disease. Here, using single-cell transcriptomics and lipid metabolomics, the authors identify a subset of mesenchymal stem cells that promote adipogenesis in creeping fat formation.