 |
|
Want a reason to love your lower belly fat? It's rich in stem cells
July 24, 2008ASPS study finds some areas of the body have greater concentrations of stem cells
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body, reports a Brazilian-based study in August's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). This is the first study of its kind to examine whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration.
"Adult stem cells, derived from our own tissues, hold strong promise for improved clinical therapies," said J. Peter Rubin, MD, a member of the ASPS Fat Grafting Task Force who is involved in pre-clinical trial work on stem cells taken from fat. "The potential for healing and repairing injury or disease through stem cells, including conditions like breast cancer and reconstruction, heart failure, spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease are incredible. We may be able to more permanently and naturally get rid of pesky wrinkles or augment breasts with stem cell enriched fat in the future as well. Knowing more about the biology of stem cells will be of great value when we are ready for clinical trials in this country."
In the study, 23 female patients having liposuction in at least four different body areas agreed to have their fat isolated for adult stem cells and analyzed to determine stem cell concentrations. The body areas that were liposuctioned were: lower abdomen, upper abdomen, inner knee, inner thigh, flank and hips.
The study results found a significant difference in stem cell concentrations in different areas of the body. A major finding was that the concentration of stem cells was greatest in the lower abdomen and inner thighs. Interestingly, stem cell concentration in the lower abdomen was five times greater than in the upper abdomen.
"The value of stem cells harvested through fat is the ready and ample supply available," said ASPS President Richard D'Amico, MD. "Using stem cells will some day have very practical applications to the specialty of plastic surgery. That we may be able to generate new tissue or bone that can be used in many of the reconstructive and cosmetic procedures we do every day is a tremendous."
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have not yet developed a specific function. Not only are they capable of self renewal, stem cells can divide and produce others that become specialized cells. Scientists and doctors theorize that stem cells will be able to repair or replace damaged or diseased cells. Clinical trials researching the potential of stem cells from fat are ongoing in Europe and Asia. In the U.S., there are many investigators doing pre-clinical trial work to meet the stringent safety guidelines the FDA sets for clinical trials.
According to ASPS statistics, more than 301,000 liposuction procedures were performed in 2007.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
In the study, 23 female patients having liposuction in at least four different body areas agreed to have their fat isolated for adult stem cells and analyzed to determine stem cell concentrations. The body areas that were liposuctioned were: lower abdomen, upper abdomen, inner knee, inner thigh, flank and hips.
The study results found a significant difference in stem cell concentrations in different areas of the body. A major finding was that the concentration of stem cells was greatest in the lower abdomen and inner thighs. Interestingly, stem cell concentration in the lower abdomen was five times greater than in the upper abdomen.
"The value of stem cells harvested through fat is the ready and ample supply available," said ASPS President Richard D'Amico, MD. "Using stem cells will some day have very practical applications to the specialty of plastic surgery. That we may be able to generate new tissue or bone that can be used in many of the reconstructive and cosmetic procedures we do every day is a tremendous."
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have not yet developed a specific function. Not only are they capable of self renewal, stem cells can divide and produce others that become specialized cells. Scientists and doctors theorize that stem cells will be able to repair or replace damaged or diseased cells. Clinical trials researching the potential of stem cells from fat are ongoing in Europe and Asia. In the U.S., there are many investigators doing pre-clinical trial work to meet the stringent safety guidelines the FDA sets for clinical trials.
According to ASPS statistics, more than 301,000 liposuction procedures were performed in 2007.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Stem Cells News and Current Stem Cells Events RSSBlood vessel cells are instructed to form tube-like structures
How do blood vessel cells understand that they should organise themselves in tubes and not in layers? A research group from Uppsala University shows for the first time that a special type of "instructor" molecule is needed to accomplish this. These findings, published in the scientific journal Blood, might be an important step towards using stem cells to build new organs.
Antidepressants need new nerve cells to be effective, researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered in mice that the brain must create new nerve cells for either exercise or antidepressants to reduce depression-like behavior.
Antidepressants need new nerve cells to be effective, UT Southwestern researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered in mice that the brain must create new nerve cells for either exercise or antidepressants to reduce depression-like behavior.
Alcohol consumption can cause too much cell death, fetal abnormalities
The initial signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are slight but classic: facial malformations such as a flat and high upper lip, small eye openings and a short nose.
Carnegie Mellon MRI technology that non-invasively locates, quantifies specific cells in the body
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to novel imaging reagents and technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University scientist Eric Ahrens, MRI can be used to visualize - with "exquisite" specificity - cell populations of interest in the living body.
Bone marrow stem cells may help control inflammatory bowel disease
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.
Making 'good' fat from muscle and vice versa
A surprise discovery -- that calorie-burning brown fat can be produced experimentally from muscle precursor cells in mice -- raises the prospect of new ways to fight obesity and overweight, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Joslin study identifies protein that produces 'good' fat
A study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center has shown that a protein known for its role in inducing bone growth can also help promote the development of brown fat, a "good" fat that helps in the expenditure of energy and plays a role in fighting obesity.
Bowel cancer indicator should lead to better treatment
STEM cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually lead to better treatment and survival rates.
Stem cell indicator for bowel cancer should lead to better survival rates
Stem cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually lead to better treatment and survival rates. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK.
More Stem Cells News Articles
 | My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots... |
 | Embryo: A Defense of Human Life by Robert P. George, Christopher Tollefsen The bitter national debates over abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research have created an unbridgeable gap between religious groups and those who insist that faith-based views have no place in public policy. Religious conservatives are so adamantly opposed to stem cell research in particular that President Bush issued the first veto of his presidency over a bill that would have provided... |
 | The Oxygen Revolution: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: The Groundbreaking New Treatment for Stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Arthritis, Autism, Learning Disabilities and More by Paul G. Harch, Virginia Mccullough HOPE FOR MANY "HOPELESS" DISEASES, FROM ONE OF THE FOREMOST RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELDWhen Randy McCloy, Jr., the sole survivor of the Sago Mine disaster, finally walked out of the hospital to rejoin his family, it was in part due to the miracle of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is based on an almost laughably simple idea: Oxygen can be used therapeutically for a wide... |
 | Miracle Stem Cell Heart Repair: (For Heart Attack, Heart Failure and Bypass Patients) by Christian Wilde |
 | Sex, Science, and Stem Cells by Diana DeGette In August 2001, President George W. Bush announced with fanfare that federal funds would be made available to scientists conducting research on human embryonic stem cell lines—with restrictions. Reading his words, not his lips, was Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado’s First Congressional District, and what she read was this: a ban. “As a practical matter,” scientists... |
 | Irreparable Harm by Randy D. Singer A fight for life. A battle for right.Attorney Mitchell Taylor is trapped in a lose-lose situation.Bright but inexperienced attorney Mitchell Taylor is torn between warring personal and professional interests. Can he help his client–a young surrogate mother–and save the child she carries without sealing the fate of others? The compelling answer lies in Randy Singer’s new legal... |
 | The Stem Cell Controversy: Debating the Issues (Contemporary Issue Series) Stem cell research is headline news. Researchers are eager to move forward, state governments and private foundations are rushing to support it, and the sick and afflicted are desperate for its benefits. Yet powerful forces in our society—led by President George W. Bush—find it morally troubling and they are doing all in their powers to restrict its development beyond a very limited... |
 | God and the Embryo Discussions and debates over the medical use of stem cells and cloning have always had a religious component. But there are many different religious voices. This anthology on how religious perspectives can inform the difficult issues of stem cell research and human cloning is essential to the discussion. Contributors reflect the spectrum of Christian responses, from liberal Protestant to... |
 | Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical, and Political Issues Few recent advances in science have generated as much excitement and controversy as human embryonic stem cells. The potential of these cells to replace diseased or damaged cells in virtually every tissue of the body heralds the advent of an extraordinary new field of medicine. Controversy arises, however, because current techniques required to harvest stem cells involve the destruction of the... |
 | Stem Cell Now by Christopher Thomas Scott The essential account of the most important scientific advance—and most volatile ethical debate—of our time While many believe stem cell research holds the key to curing a wide range of ailments, others see this research as opening a Pandora’s box that will devalue human life. In Stem Cell Now, Christopher Scott—executive director of Stanford University’s Stem Cells and Society Program—lays out... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |