Aims: To determine the role of IncRNA HOXA11-AS1 on adipocyte differentiation. Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were isolated from adipose tissues of patients and cultured in vitro, followed by knockdown of HOXA11-AS1. Then, adipocyte differentiation and expression of adipogenic-related genes (CEBP-alpha, DGAT2, CIDEC, and perilipin) were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Results: We demonstrated that knockdown of HOXA11-AS1 inhibited adipocyte differentiation, leading to suppression of adipogenic-related gene (CEBP-alpha, DGAT2, CIDEC, and perilipin) transcription, as well as decreased lipid accumulation in hADSCs. In addition, IncRNA HOXA11-AS1 was highly expressed in obese patients and significantly increased during the process of adipocyte differentiation. Conclusion: The results provide new insight into the molecular mechanism by which IncRNA HOXA11AS1 is involved in adipogenesis and may have implications for the treatment of obesity and associated disorders. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc.