Lipoaspirate Shows In Vitro Potential for Wound Healing
Chiara Ceresa, Alessia Borrone, Letizia Fracchia, Maurizio Rinaldi, Alice Marchetti, Carlo Tremolada, Michela Bosetti · Pharmaceutics · 2022
Lab study reveals fat tissue releases healing proteins
This laboratory study explored whether micro-fragmented adipose tissue (specially processed fat from your own body) could help wounds heal faster. Researchers tested Lipogems® technology to see how it might benefit skin repair. While this was not a study in patients, it provides important early evidence about how this treatment may work.
Cells naturally migrate out of fat tissue clusters
One key finding was that cells living within the fat tissue clusters could move out on their own. Researchers placed the fat tissue into a three-dimensional collagen structure. This mimics a wound environment. They watched as cells grew outward from the fat clusters. These cells then spread across the collagen surface. This matters because it shows the fat tissue can act as a natural "delivery system" for healing cells. No complex laboratory processing is needed to release them.
Fat tissue boosts skin cell growth and movement
The research team studied how fat tissue affects two important skin cell types:
Fibroblasts – cells that build the structural framework of skin
Keratinocytes – cells that form the protective outer layer of skin
When exposed to substances released by the fat tissue, both cell types multiplied faster. They also moved more quickly toward a simulated wound. This "paracrine effect" means the fat tissue sends chemical signals that encourage nearby cells to heal damaged areas. The fat tissue does not need direct contact with wound cells to help them.
Healing proteins detected in fat tissue secretions
Scientists analyzed what the fat tissue was releasing into the surrounding fluid. They found several proteins known to support wound repair. These include growth factors that stimulate cell division and movement. The presence of these proteins helps explain why the fat tissue improved skin cell behavior in the experiments. Your own fat contains a natural "cocktail" of healing signals.
Fat tissue fights bacteria that delay healing
Chronic wounds often become stuck in a cycle of infection and inflammation. The researchers discovered that fat tissue releases substances with antibacterial properties. When they introduced bacteria to the laboratory environment, the fat tissue responded. It increased its release of germ-fighting factors. This suggests the fat tissue can actively defend against common wound bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Fighting infection is critical for wounds to progress through normal healing stages.
What this means for patients considering treatment
This laboratory study shows promise for using your own fat tissue to support wound healing. The Lipogems® process creates micro-fragmented fat that:
Acts as a natural scaffold carrying regenerative cells
Releases proteins that encourage skin cells to grow and migrate
May help fight bacterial infections that slow healing
Because this was an in vitro study (conducted in laboratory dishes rather than in people), more research is needed. Clinical trials in patients would help confirm these benefits translate to real-world wound care. However, the findings add to growing evidence that micro-fragmented adipose tissue could become a valuable option for difficult-to-heal wounds, scars, and skin injuries.
If you are considering Lipogems® for wound healing, discuss this research with your healthcare provider. They can help you understand whether this approach might suit your specific situation and what outcomes you might reasonably expect.
Source: Ceresa et al., Pharmaceutics, 2022.
Original Publication
Chiara Ceresa, Alessia Borrone, Letizia Fracchia, Maurizio Rinaldi, Alice Marchetti, Carlo Tremolada, Michela Bosetti · Pharmaceutics · 2022
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising therapy in wound healing, although extensive time and manipulation are necessary for their use. In our previous study on cartilage regeneration, we demonstrated that lipoaspirate acts as a natural scaffold for MSCs and gives rise to their spontaneous outgrowth, together with a paracrine effect on resident cells that overcome the limitations connected to MSC use. In this study, we aimed to investigate in vitro whether the microfragmented adipose tissue (lipoaspirate), obtained with Lipogems® technology, could promote and accelerate wound healing. We showed the ability of resident cells to outgrow from the clusters of lipoaspirate encapsulated in a 3D collagen substrate as capability of repopulating a culture of human skin. Moreover, we demonstrated that the in vitro lipoaspirate paracrine effect on fibroblasts and keratinocytes proliferation, migration, and contraction rate is mediated by the release of trophic/reparative proteins. Finally, an analysis of the paracrine antibacterial effect of lipoaspirate proved its ability to secrete antibacterial factors and its ability to modulate their secretion in culture media based on a bacterial stimulus. The results suggest that lipoaspirate may be a promising approach in wound healing showing in vitro regenerative and antibacterial activities that could improve current therapeutic strategies.