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BACKGROUND: Regenerative therapies like cell-assisted lipotransfer or preclinical experimental studies use adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) as the main therapeutic agent. But there are also factors depending on the clinical donor that influence the cell yield and regenerative potential of human ASCs and stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify and evaluate these factors according to current literature. METHODS: For this purpose, a systematic literature review was performed with focus on factors affecting the regenerative potential of ASCs and SVF using the National Library of Medicine. RESULTS: Currently, there is an abundance of studies regarding clinical donor factors influencing ASCs properties. But there is some contradiction and need for further investigation. Nevertheless, we identified several recurrent factors: age, sex, weight, diabetes, lipoedema, use of antidepressants, anti-hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: We recommend characterisation of the ASC donor cohort in all publications, regardless of whether they are experimental studies or clinical trials. By these means, donor factors that influence experimental or clinical findings can be made transparent and results are more comparable. Moreover, this knowledge can be used for study design to form a homogenous donor cohort by precise clinical history and physical examination.