Could unwanted fat actually provide health benefits?
Researchers at Stanford University say human fat removed during liposuction surgeries may actually hold the key to better health, and life-saving cures.
What’s more, one of the central controversies surrounding genetic research might soon be a thing of the past, because this kind of stem cell research doesn’t involve embryos.
Researchers say globs of fat contain cells that can be reprogrammed into an embryonic-like state, and used for regenerative medicine. It would be a natural and plentiful source of healing power, easily obtained from liposuction leftovers.
Dr. Michael Longaker is the director of Stanford’s Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. He says cells from discarded fat are so versatile, they can become bone, tendons, or muscle, as needed.
“As our population ages, it’s becoming obvious that the problems of musculo-sketetal diseases, for example, are only going to grow in time,” says Dr. Lonaker. “So that’s the initial concept of fat derived from multi-potent cells.”
With an estimated 30-40 percent of Americans suffering from obesity, and many others just hoping to trim a few pounds, there’s plenty of raw material to work with. What’s more, the approach is supported by pro-life activists who oppose embryonic research.
Cecelia Cody of California Right to Life says the emerging technology is a win-win. “No lives are sacrificed in getting the liposuction,” she says. Dr. Lonaker concurs. “This has really fast-forwarded the concept of what could be ethically or morally acceptable depending on the patients views in this case. We don’t have to be anywhere near an embryo.”
Researchers hope this approach will win FDA approval for clinical testing by the end of the decade, ensuring a smoother future for a promising area of science that’s long been weighed down by politics.