Understanding New Research on Fat Tissue for Wound Healing
Chiara Ceresa, Alessia Borrone, Letizia Fracchia, Maurizio Rinaldi, Alice Marchetti, Carlo Tremolada, Michela Bosetti · Pharmaceutics · 2022
Lab Study Shows Processed Fat Tissue May Help Wounds Heal
This 2022 study from Italian researchers explored how micro-fragmented adipose tissue (specially processed fat from your own body) might help wounds heal. The team used Lipogems® technology to prepare fat tissue samples. They then tested these samples in laboratory conditions to see how they might support skin repair. While this was not a study in patients, it provides important insights into how this approach might work.
Cells Naturally Move Out of Fat Tissue to Populate New Areas
One key finding was that regenerative cells could move out of the fat tissue on their own. When researchers placed the processed fat tissue into a three-dimensional collagen structure (similar to skin scaffolding), cells migrated outward. These cells began to populate the surrounding area. This suggests the fat tissue acts as a natural "home base" for healing cells. It may allow them to spread into damaged tissue without complex laboratory processing.
Fat Tissue Releases Proteins That Speed Up Skin Cell Activity
The research team discovered that processed fat tissue releases helpful proteins into its surroundings. These proteins encouraged two important skin cell types to grow and move faster:
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, these cells multiplied more quickly. They also moved faster across laboratory surfaces, mimicking how cells would need to travel to close a wound.
Wound-Closing Ability Improved in Laboratory Tests
Fibroblasts play a crucial role in wound contraction — the process where wound edges pull together to close a gap. In this study, fibroblasts exposed to fat tissue secretions showed improved contraction ability. This finding suggests that the proteins released by processed fat tissue might help wounds close more effectively in real-world healing situations.
Fat Tissue Showed Bacteria-Fighting Properties
Wound infections can seriously delay healing. This study found that processed fat tissue releases substances that fight bacteria. The tissue could combat common wound bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Even more interesting, the fat tissue seemed to "sense" when bacteria were present. It increased its release of antibacterial substances in response to bacterial signals. This dual ability — promoting healing while fighting infection — could be valuable for treating wounds at risk of infection.
What This Means for Patients Considering Treatment
This laboratory study suggests several potential benefits of using your own processed fat tissue for wound healing:
No need for extensive cell processing — Unlike some stem cell treatments that require weeks of laboratory preparation, this approach uses minimally processed tissue
Natural delivery system — The fat tissue serves as a scaffold that releases helpful cells and proteins over time
Multiple healing actions — The tissue appears to support cell growth, wound closure, and infection prevention simultaneously
Uses your own tissue — Because it comes from your own body, there is no risk of rejection
It is important to understand that this was a laboratory study, not a clinical trial in patients. The researchers tested these effects in controlled conditions using cell cultures and tissue samples. While the results are encouraging, further research in actual patients is needed to confirm these benefits translate to real wound healing situations.
If you are considering Lipogems® treatment for wound healing, discuss this research with your healthcare provider. They can help you understand how these laboratory findings might apply to your specific situation. Ask about current clinical evidence and whether this approach might be appropriate for your type of wound.
Source: Ceresa et al., Pharmaceutics, 2022.
Original Publication
Lipoaspirate Shows In Vitro Potential for Wound Healing
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.