Upstream | September 08, 2009 | 9 comments

'Liposuction Leftovers' Easily Converted into Stem Cells

source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162316.htm

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DeliaTheArtist
"Globs of human fat removed during liposuction conceal versatile cells that are more quickly and easily coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, than are the skin cells most often used by researchers, according to a new study from Stanford's School of Medicine.

"We've identified a great natural resource," said Stanford surgery professor and co-author of the research, Michael Longaker, MD, who has called the readily available liposuction leftovers "liquid gold." Reprogramming adult cells to function like embryonic stem cells is one way researchers hope to create patient-specific cell lines to regenerate tissue or to study specific diseases in the laboratory.

"Thirty to 40 percent of adults in this country are obese," agreed cardiologist Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, the paper's senior author. "Not only can we start with a lot of cells, we can reprogram them much more efficiently. Fibroblasts, or skin cells, must be grown in the lab for three weeks or more before they can be reprogrammed. But these stem cells from fat are ready to go right away."

The fact that the cells can also be converted without the need for mouse-derived "feeder cells" may make them an ideal starting material for human therapies. Feeder cells are often used when growing human skin cells outside the body, but physicians worry that cross-species contamination could make them unsuitable for human use.

"These cells are not as far along on the differentiation pathway, so they're easier to back up to an earlier state," said first author and postdoctoral scholar Ning Sun, PhD, who conducted the research in both Longaker's and Wu's laboratories. "They are more embryonic-like than fibroblasts, which take more effort to reprogram."

""The idea of reprogramming a cell from your body to become anything your body needs is very exciting...Imagine if we could isolate fat cells from a patient with some type of congenital cardiac disease," said Wu. "We could then differentiate them into cardiac cells, study how they respond to different drugs or stimuli and see how they compare to normal cells. This would be a great advance."
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9 comments // 'Liposuction Leftovers' Easily Converted into Stem Cells

  • maof4brats
  • ras_menelik
  • ras_menelik
  • AULINS7
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  

    • Delia, you are one sharp cookie. I doubt there's been even one of your news posts that I haven't blogged in the past year. This one is so great I sent it to my mail and starred it too. Keep up the good work.

    • 2 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  
    • PressCore:

      Without meaning to sound facetious, thank you again. I'll have to have some stem cell implants to replace the teeth destroyed in earlier youth by dental malpractice. I also have decided to get a liposuction to produce them. That way 1. my immune system doesn't reject them for having another individual's DNA signiture. And 2. since I have one of those special genes that wires my brain differently than ordinary folks, I know those cells will be preserved eventualy so that they can be recycled and developed into spare parts, since it's illegal and unethical to clone whole individuals for that purpose. Throughout History many of the more noteworthy musicians, composers, painters, sculpters, and writers have all shared this trait, which has labeled them as scitzophrenic, manic depressive etc. It comes
      with the territory. Have had to take college courses in
      Logic & Sylogisms, learn trancendental meditation, etc
      just to become a bright normal, well adjusted adult.
      Good to know that a liposuction will be worth the money for a lot more than simply fitting into my 1970s and 1980s garb. I miss running as I used to do in high school. By instantly shedding 30 lbs. it will give me the
      lightness & impetus to work out again on my weight lifting machine, and gear up to the day when I can run again. I already have been largely vegan for a year. With that measure I can be medium-ly totaly vegan, and fully reach my equilibrium. I know I'll have much more energy year round once I don't have to carry all that weight around needlessly.

    • 2 years ago
  • pjacobs51
  • sirpaulmcdarkney
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