Understanding Lipogems®: What Research Shows About Fat Tissue for Healing

Your Body's Fat Contains Powerful Healing Cells

Your adipose tissue (body fat) is actually your largest organ. It does much more than store energy. Fat tissue contains a rich network of tiny blood vessels surrounded by special cells called pericytes. These pericytes are the starting point for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are remarkable because they release healing signals that help reduce inflammation and repair damaged tissue.

When tissue is injured, pericytes leave the blood vessel walls and transform into MSCs within minutes to hours. These cells then release proteins that calm inflammation and work with your immune system. Over the following weeks, they produce additional healing factors that fight infection, prevent scarring, and even help relieve pain.

Fat Tissue Offers Key Advantages Over Bone Marrow

Both fat tissue and bone marrow can provide regenerative cells. However, fat tissue has several practical benefits. It is more abundant in the body. The harvesting procedure is easier and less invasive. Most importantly, fat contains roughly five hundred times more MSCs per volume than unconcentrated bone marrow.

Interestingly, clinical studies show that treatments using either source produce similar results for conditions like osteoarthritis. This suggests the total number of cells may matter less than how they are prepared and delivered. The quality and activity of the cells appears more important than sheer quantity.

Lipogems® Preserves the Natural Tissue Structure

The Lipogems® system processes fat tissue differently than other methods. Traditional approaches often break down fat completely using enzymes or mechanical force. This destroys the original tissue structure to isolate individual cells.

Lipogems® instead gently reduces fat clusters from about three millimeters to roughly one-third of a millimeter. This is done through washing and mild mechanical processing in a closed, sterile device. The key difference is that the tissue structure stays intact. The tiny blood vessels and their surrounding pericytes remain preserved within each cluster.

Micro-Fragmented Fat Creates a "Natural Bioreactor"

The Lipogems® product is essentially a miniature version of your original fat tissue. Each tiny cluster keeps its natural scaffold structure, complete with intact blood vessels on the surface. This processing increases the exposed surface area by approximately six thousand times compared to regular lipoaspirate.

Think of each cluster as a natural implantable bioreactor. It contains three essential healing elements working together:

• Scaffold: The preserved tissue structure provides a framework for healing

• Cells: Pericytes and MSCs remain in their natural positions around blood vessels

• Growth factors: The cells continue producing healing signals after implantation

The Processing Technique Matters for Results

Proper preparation is critical for optimal outcomes. The Lipogems® device uses a completely closed system that washes away blood, oil, and inflammatory debris. The tissue passes through special filters that reduce cluster size through mechanical force alone.

One important technical detail: the processing happens without air in the device. This protects the fat cells from bursting while maintaining structural integrity. The marbles inside the device help with cleaning and dispersing the tissue. The entire shaking process should take between twenty and ninety seconds.

What This Means for Your Treatment Decision

This research helps explain why Lipogems® works differently than other regenerative treatments. Rather than extracting and concentrating individual cells, this approach transplants intact tissue clusters. Your body receives preserved healing structures that can continue functioning after injection.

The science shows that more cells do not always mean better results. Keeping the natural tissue organization may be equally or more important. This is why Lipogems® maintains the relationship between blood vessels, pericytes, and the surrounding fat structure.

If you are considering regenerative treatment for joint problems or tissue repair, this research supports the biological rationale behind micro-fragmented adipose tissue. The technology uses your own tissue in a minimally processed form. This preserves the natural healing mechanisms that your body already uses for repair.

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Source: Tremolada C, Journal of Orthopedic Research and Therapy, 2022.