Understanding How Lipogems® May Help With Tissue Repair and Inflammation

Lab Study Reveals Fat Tissue Contains Abundant Healing Cells

This 2016 laboratory study examined Lipogems® (LG), a specially processed fat tissue preparation, to understand why it shows promise for treating damaged or inflamed tissues. Researchers found that LG contains high numbers of two important cell types: pericytes (helper cells that stabilize blood vessels) and mesenchymal stromal cells (regenerative cells that support healing). These cells are preserved through the gentle, enzyme-free processing method that breaks fat into tiny clusters without harsh chemicals.

The study used fat samples from five adult donors. Scientists analyzed both the whole LG tissue and the cells extracted from it to measure their healing and inflammation-fighting abilities.

Processed Fat Tissue Promotes New Blood Vessel Formation

One key finding was that substances released by LG tissue helped grow new blood vessels in laboratory tests. When researchers exposed human blood vessel cells to liquid collected from LG cultures, these cells formed tube-like structures. This process, called angiogenesis, is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to healing tissues.

Both the whole LG tissue and its extracted cells produced this effect. The cells within LG released growth factors that encouraged blood vessel development without causing excessive or harmful growth.

Inflammation Markers Reduced by Up to Fifty Percent

The study showed impressive anti-inflammatory effects. When blood vessel cells were exposed to a substance that triggers inflammation, adding LG-derived liquid reduced the expression of two adhesion molecules by roughly half:

• ICAM-1 (a protein that helps inflammatory cells stick to blood vessels) decreased significantly

• VCAM-1 (another adhesion protein) showed similar reductions

This matters because these molecules normally help inflammatory cells attach to blood vessel walls and enter damaged tissues. By lowering their levels, LG may help calm excessive inflammation.

Immune Cell Movement and Attachment Significantly Blocked

Researchers tested how LG affected immune cells called macrophages, which drive inflammation when overactive. The results were striking:

• Movement of immune cells toward inflammatory signals dropped by approximately forty percent

• Attachment of immune cells to blood vessel walls decreased substantially

• Release of inflammatory chemicals called RANTES and MCP-1 was significantly suppressed

These findings suggest LG may help prevent the cycle of chronic inflammation that can slow healing and cause ongoing tissue damage.

Cells Maintain Healing Properties Without Extensive Processing

An important practical finding was that LG-derived cells kept their beneficial characteristics after only three to five laboratory passages. The cells expressed typical regenerative cell markers (CD90, CD105, CD73, and CD44) at high levels, confirming they retained their identity as mesenchymal stromal cells.

This matters because extensive laboratory expansion of cells can cause them to lose their healing abilities over time. The LG process provides ready-to-use tissue with minimal manipulation, potentially avoiding this problem.

What This Means for Patients Considering Lipogems®

This laboratory research helps explain why Lipogems® treatment may benefit conditions involving poor healing or chronic inflammation. The study demonstrates that:

• LG tissue is rich in regenerative cells that survive the gentle processing

• These cells actively release substances that promote healthy blood vessel growth

• The released substances can reduce inflammation through multiple pathways

While laboratory studies cannot predict exactly how treatments will work in living patients, these findings provide biological evidence supporting the use of minimally processed fat tissue for regenerative medicine. The anti-inflammatory and blood vessel-supporting effects observed here align with positive outcomes reported in clinical studies of LG for joint problems, wound healing, and other conditions.

If you are considering Lipogems® treatment for tissue repair or inflammation-related conditions, this research suggests the procedure works by providing your body with concentrated healing cells that actively communicate with surrounding tissues to promote repair and reduce inflammation.

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Source: Ceserani et al., None, 2016.