Gentle Processing May Boost Stem Cell Healing Potential
Margherita Maioli, Salvatore Rinaldi, Sara Santaniello, Alessandro Castagna, Gianfranco Pigliaru, Alessandro Delitala, Francesca Bianchi, Carlo Tremolada, Vania Fontani, Carlo Ventura · Cell Transplantation · 2014
Fat Tissue Prepared Without Harsh Chemicals Shows Enhanced Properties
Stem cells from fat tissue offer exciting possibilities for healing damaged tissues. But how these cells are prepared matters greatly. This laboratory study compared two methods of extracting stem cells from human fat tissue. The Lipogems® method uses gentle mechanical processing. Traditional methods use enzymes (chemicals that break down tissue). Researchers wanted to see which approach produced cells with better healing potential.
Lipogems® Cells Outperformed Chemically Processed Cells
The study found that stem cells prepared using the Lipogems® method showed stronger responses when activated. Scientists exposed both types of cells to a special energy device designed to enhance cell behavior. The Lipogems®-derived cells showed significantly higher activity in genes related to:
Heart tissue development
Blood vessel formation
Nerve cell growth
Muscle tissue creation
This suggests that gentle processing preserves the cells' natural healing abilities better than harsh chemical methods.
Cells Showed Activity for Multiple Tissue Types
When stimulated, the Lipogems®-derived cells turned on genes needed to become several different tissue types. This "multipotency" means the cells retain flexibility to help repair various kinds of damage. The researchers measured increased activity in genes called GATA-4, Nkx-2.5, VEGF, HGF, neurogenin-1, and myoD. Each of these controls development of specific tissues like heart, blood vessels, nerves, and muscles.
Gentle Processing Preserves the Body's Natural Repair System
The Lipogems® system uses mild mechanical forces rather than enzymes to process fat tissue. This gentler approach appears to keep more of the tissue's natural structure intact. The resulting product contains a rich mixture of pericytes (cells that support blood vessel healing) and mesenchymal stem cells (regenerative cells that can develop into various tissue types). These cells maintained their stem cell characteristics while showing readiness to become specialized healing cells when needed.
Why This Matters for Patients Considering Regenerative Treatment
This laboratory research helps explain why the preparation method matters for stem cell treatments. Key takeaways include:
Your own tissue works best: All cells came from the patients' own fat tissue, avoiding rejection concerns
Processing method affects quality: Gentle mechanical processing preserved more healing potential than chemical methods
Fat tissue is a rich source: Human fat contains abundant regenerative cells that are easy to access
Cells retain flexibility: Properly prepared cells can respond to the body's signals for various repair needs
While this was a laboratory study rather than a clinical trial, it provides scientific support for why minimally manipulated tissue products may offer advantages. The Lipogems® method's ability to preserve the natural properties of fat-derived stem cells suggests it may help optimize outcomes when these cells are used for tissue repair.
Patients considering regenerative medicine treatments should discuss these findings with their healthcare providers. Understanding how tissue preparation affects cell quality can help in making informed treatment decisions.
Source: Maioli et al., Cell Transplantation, 2014.
Original Publication
Radioelectric Asymmetric Conveyed Fields and Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Obtained With a Nonenzymatic Method and Device: A Novel Approach to Multipotency
Margherita Maioli, Salvatore Rinaldi, Sara Santaniello, Alessandro Castagna, Gianfranco Pigliaru, Alessandro Delitala, Francesca Bianchi, Carlo Tremolada, Vania Fontani, Carlo Ventura · Cell Transplantation · 2014
This study investigated the effect of radioelectric asymmetric conveyed fields (REACF) on human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) obtained using a novel nonenzymatic method called Lipogems. hASCs represent a promising tool for regenerative therapies due to their simple isolation and high proliferative capacity, though differentiation is often incomplete and low-yield. The Lipogems device uses mild mechanical forces to obtain a fat tissue derivative enriched in pericytes/mesenchymal stem cells from human lipoaspirates. These cells exhibited enhanced vasculogenic gene transcription compared to enzymatically dissociated cells. The researchers exposed Lipogems-derived hASCs to REAC, a device that asymmetrically conveys radioelectric fields previously shown to enhance differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells and enable multilineage reprogramming in human fibroblasts. Results demonstrated that REAC exposure significantly enhanced transcription of prodynorphin, GATA-4, Nkx-2.5, VEGF, HGF, vWF, neurogenin-1, and myoD, indicating commitment toward cardiac, vascular, neuronal, and skeletal muscle lineages, confirmed by targeted marker protein overexpression. REAC also modulated stemness-related genes including NANOG, SOX-2, and OCT-4. Importantly, REAC-induced responses were significantly higher in Lipogems-derived than enzymatically dissociated hASCs. The combination of REAC-mediated radioelectric fields and Lipogems-derived hASCs appears to create an optimal environment for enhancing multipotency expression from human adult stem cells, potentially improving future cell therapy applications.