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Ever wonder what happens to all the fat sucked out during liposuction? If you feared it was going to waste, worry no more. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the gelatinous material can be converted into embryonic stem cells.
“We’ve identified a great natural resource,” said Stanford surgery professor and co-author of the research, Michael Longaker. The physician also called lipo leftovers “liquid gold.”
Changing regular adult stem cells to embryonic stem cells poses a number of problems. Four genes, known as Yamanaka factors, need to be expressed to change adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), which mostly resemble embryonic stem cells. Doctors often experiment with skin cells for this procedure. But like some adults, mature cells are resistant to change. It takes skin cells about three weeks in the lab to convert to iPS cells.
The Stanford researchers looked at adipose, or immature fat cells, which lie within a labyrinth of fat and collagen in our bodies. These fat cells are already expressed at higher levels and only two of the four Yamanaka genes need to be converted, which turns the fat cells into iPS almost immediately. Researchers are also excited because these cells easily convert to iPS without the aid of feeder cells, which are cells from mice that enable stem cell growth outside the body. Researchers then can reprogram iPS cells into bone, muscle, organ, or brain cells. As far as scientists know, iPS cells are the same as embryonic stem cells and will be as useful in treatments.
Comments (16)
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Wait for it….wait for it….
posted by Dagger on 9-16-2009 at 10:59 am
Ugh! But, I suppose they’re doing their share:
Reduce
Recycle
Reuse
posted by Me on 9-16-2009 at 11:51 am
Lipo cells are so fat…
posted by Steven on 9-16-2009 at 11:56 am
Allow me to be the first to step up and offer my extra adipose to be removed for research purposes. I’ll take that bullet for you guys! ;)
posted by Jenn-ay on 9-16-2009 at 12:37 pm
I was thinking the same thing, Jenn-ay!
posted by Hyacinth on 9-16-2009 at 12:49 pm
Is Dagger waiting on someone to get upset over this?
What’s upsetting is Me saying Reduce, Recycle and Reuse in that order…it’s Reuse, Reduce, Recycle!!!
posted by graham on 9-16-2009 at 3:21 pm
*eugh*
Fat cells will always be fat cells…. right?
How long have they been monitored for? Maybe these iPS cells will just be like “Hey, when I get into the new body, I’ll just put on back all the fat…”
Probably not, but still *eugh*.
captcha: Gilbert pranced :)
posted by ariaDne on 9-16-2009 at 3:22 pm
I always thought it was Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in that order.
posted by Steven on 9-16-2009 at 3:26 pm
I bet it’s a regional thing…in any case you are both wrong!
posted by graham on 9-16-2009 at 3:28 pm
I think Dagger is waiting for the inevitable Fight Club quote. ;-)
posted by MarMar on 9-16-2009 at 5:01 pm
oh, now you’ve done it, you’ve broken the first rule.
“I am Jack’s raging bile duct” – and underrated fave to replace to overused one.
reCaptcha – outstrip 2B
posted by Jonny on 9-16-2009 at 5:41 pm
Reminds me of “Doctor Who” where Adipose, a weight-loss drug, turns a pound of fat into cute baby fat aliens. Awesome episode with Donna and the Doctor!
posted by Tamsyn on 9-16-2009 at 8:00 pm
I wanna know if this research is being funded by McDonald’s. Even more now that I look back and see an add for a sausage McMuffin at the bottom of the article!
Gives one greatly to wonder !
posted by Bryant on 9-17-2009 at 10:18 am
I have a lot that I can donate and will be more than happy to help them out.
posted by peg dennis on 9-17-2009 at 3:10 pm
Should be called “lipid” gold
posted by Tucker on 9-17-2009 at 7:14 pm
Interesting ~ I’m willing to donate fat cells!
posted by Yvonne on 9-18-2009 at 8:06 am