StemCell Therapy

Fat transfer breast augmentation can give women fuller, more attractive breasts without the need for breast implants.

Many women are now choosing fat transfer breast augmentation as a natural alternative to enhance their breasts without getting breast implants. Fat transfer breast augmentation is considered a more natural approach to breast augmentation since it uses the patients own fat cells instead of unnatural materials. As an added benefit, liposuction is used to remove the fat that will be used in the fat transfer breast augmentation. The fat is removed from the thighs, abdomen, buttocks or another area with excess fat, offering the added benefit ofslimming and toning.

Fat cell transfers were first performed around 1896. The first fat transfers for facial rejuvenation as early as 1912. This is not anovel or new procedure, but has been perfected over the years.

In the last 20 years, surgeons have been documenting some long-term benefits found fromfat cell transfers, including the ability to maintain volume as well as regenerative evidence.

The BRAVA is an external bra which gently expands a womans breast tissue making this breakthrough procedure possible for natural breast augmentation and reconstruction.

It is the Brava that makes the Brava + Fat Cell transfer breast augmentation technique possible. For women who want cosmetic breast augmentation the options are no longer limited to the traditional methods of implants.

I have always wanted to have natural looking breast augmentation without implants because I just felt that I did not want a foreign object in my body

I did tons of research on fat transfer the breast and decided that that was the best option for me. In addition to that I was able to harvest the fat from my stomach and inner thighs which have always been my problem areas. The result has been beyond my wildest dream. Not only do my breasts look like Im back in High school I have gone down two dress sizes after surgery. I cannot be happier. Dr Bednar is an amazing doctor!

I cannot wait to show off my new body when I go on my anniversary cruise in April . My husband also cannot believe my transformation. Hes even thinking about Botox now!

Kindest regards to all the staff for taking such good care of me. I will send you tons of patients, trust me, Leslie

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Breast Augmentation using Fat Stem Cell Transfer in ...

Boston, MA (May 9, 2011) A joint task force of the two leading plastic surgery associations, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), today released a position statement on the use of stem cells in aesthetic surgery during The Aesthetic Meeting 2011, the annual meeting of ASAPS. Based on a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, the task force concluded that while there is tremendous potential for the future use of stem cells in aesthetic surgical procedures, the scientific evidence and other data are very limited in terms of assessing the safety or efficacy of stem cell therapies in aesthetic medicine. The task force, led by plastic surgeon and noted expert on fat-derived stem cells, J. Peter Rubin, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, was convened to address the growing concerns emerging from the plastic surgery community over advertising claims and clinical practices using stem cells that have not been substantiated by scientific evidence.

There are encouraging data from laboratory and clinical studies to suggest that the use of adult stem cells is a very promising field, said Dr. Rubin, but as our comprehensive review of the current scientific literature shows, the data available today do not substantiate the marketing claims being made to patients seeking aesthetic surgery and aesthetic medical treatments.

Based on the current state of knowledge, the task force made the following recommendations to ASAPS/ASPS members and their patients:

While we remain enthusiastic about the future potential of stem cell therapies in aesthetic surgical procedures, unsubstantiated claims for such therapies will harm patients and tarnish the reputation of the industry, said Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, ASAPS President. This joint position statement will provide guidance for our members, the public and the media.

This systematic review brings into sharp focus the fact that the marketing for stem cell therapies in aesthetic surgery is pushing far ahead of the current science," added Phil Haeck, MD, ASPS President. Understandably, there is considerable public enthusiasm over the potential for stem cell treatments in plastic surgery. However, we need to keep our patients best interests in mind, which means being committed to supporting evidence-based medicine, not unsubstantiated claims. We eagerly await the evidence showing that stem cells treatments are safe and effective in this field.

About the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), is recognized as the worlds leading organization devoted entirely to aesthetic plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine of the face and body. ASAPS is comprised of over 2,600 Plastic Surgeons; active members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (USA) or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have extensive training in the complete spectrum of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures. International active members are certified by equivalent boards of their respective countries. All members worldwide adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and must meet stringent membership requirements. http://www.surgery.org.

About the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 7,000 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. http://www.plasticsurgery.org

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ASAPS and ASPS Issue Joint Position Statement on Stem ...

TREATMENT WITH Fat Stem Cell Therapy

Diabetes Type II Treatment Avg. Rating: 4 out of 5 from 67 votes.

Diabetes Type II is perhaps the most common form of diabetes and affects millions of Americans. We believe that 8.5% of the American population suffers from Type 2 Diabetes. The condition develops with age, diet and has links to being passed on by parents. In Diabetes Type II, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. "Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells." This quote comes from the American Diabetes Association website.

Expensive drugs and strict diets are needed to control Diabetes Type II, until now. Today we have Fat Stem Cell Therapy. Experts know that fat stem cell therapy has shown the reversal of Type 2 Diabetes with blood sugar, triglycerides and hemoglobin A1c returning to normal within 6 weeks.

A detailed explanation of our procedure for treating Diabetes Type II with autologous adipose enriched Stem Cell Therapy is available on our procedure page. Activated Stem Cells are returned back into the patient using an intravenous drip. The entire process takes about 5-6 hours to complete.

Just a few hours after the patient receives the treatment, the stem cells will be hard at work repairing the clients body. Normal levels of all benchmarks used to monitor Type 2 Diabetes should be reached within 6 weeks, yet we have seen dramatic changes within 2-4 weeks.

What is really important to note is that if a slight lifestyle and diet change is not made the condition can return just as quickly. Our qualified staff will provide the client with all the information they need to make the small corrections to their diet and lifestyle.

Is The Procedure Painful? No, the procedure is painless and takes about 3.5 hours to harvest and activate the stem cells and about 3 hours to intravenously drip them back into your body. There will be some pain after the local abdominal anesthetic has worn off, but we curb that pain by keeping the client immobilized for up to 48 hours. Our Aftercare program really accelerates results by providing in-depth information to the patient about Diabetes Type II management post treatment.

Does The Type 2 Diabetes Procedure Really Work? YES! It has been clinically tested. The main thing to remember here is that if you do not make a diet and small life-style change, your condition will return.

How Much Does Type 2 Diabetes Therapy Cost? We package the Medical Procedure with a Recovery Program.

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Diabetes Type II Treatment With Fat Stem Cell Therapy

ABSTRACT

Objectives:Background for use of autologous adipose tissue as a source of adult progenitor (stem) cells for use in Prolotherapy. Present a means of lipoaspiration to harvest adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AD-MSC) and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for use in Prolotherapy and regenerative medical applications by non-plastic surgeons.

Design:Explain the patented super luer-lok and microcannulas for use with the Tulip Medical closed syringe system. A sequential explanation and equipment selection for minimally traumatic lipoaspiration in small volumes is presented.

Results:Thousands of autologous fat grafts (AFG) have proven safe and efficacious for lipoaspiration techniques for large and small structural fat grafting procedures. Addition of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to AFG has been used in several thousand cases of HD ultrasonic-guided injection Prolotherapy for musculoskeletal purposes in the past 4 years with excellent clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:Use of Tulip closed syringe lipoaspiration system with microcannulas offers a safe and effective means of harvesting small volumes of non-manipulated adipose tissues and its accompanying progenitor cells within the SVF. It offers a simple and effective means to gather undifferentiated cells for use in Prolotherapy and regenerative medical applications. Syringe and microcannulas offer a compact system and practical protocol for non-plastic surgical practitioners.

Journal of Prolotherapy.2011;3(3):680-688.

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For many years, cosmetic-plastic surgeons have recognized the value of low pressure lipoaspiration for successful transplantation of adipose tissue for structural augmentation. In the introductory years (1980-1990) of liposuction techniques, autologous fat grafting (AFG) was considered unpredictable. Once bioengineers discovered the mechanisms by which lipoaspiration worked, the closed syringe system for gentle harvesting and transplantation was developed and patented. Early belief that effective lipoaspiration was directly related to force of vacuum was replaced by understanding, that, introduction of fluid into the fat layers permitted the fat cells and stroma to enter into a suspension. This suspension was easily extracted through use of closed syringes, and provided adipose tissues with reduced damage and improved grafting results.1

As the importance of tumescent fluid distribution was appreciated, more value was placed in extensive pre-tunneling (moving cannula without applying vacuum). This better distributed local solution and enhanced the ability to mobilize the adipose tissues into a suspension, which yielded more successful and predictable AFG. During the late 1990s, surgeons began to include utilization of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to further enhance the successes and acceptance of the graft tissues, in both large and small volume transfers.2

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Autologous Fat Grafts as Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cell ...

Suzanne Somers is no stranger to medical controversy

For instance, the Threes Company actress and Thigh-Master guru has claimed that her continued youthful appearance is due to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT)*.

In 2001, Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy and radiation, but declined to undergo chemotherapy.

In November, 2008, Suzanne Somers announced she was diagnosed with inoperable cancer by six doctors, but learned a week later that she had been misdiagnosed. During this time, she interviewed doctors about cancer treatments and these interviews became the basis of her book, Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing CancerAnd How to Prevent Getting It in the First Place. In her book, Somers promotes alternative cancer treatments, for which she received harsh criticism from the American Cancer Society.

This week, Somers revealed something new a new breast, reconstructed using an experimental procedure!

The procedure, called Adipose Derived Stem Cell Breast Reconstruction, was performed at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center last August by Plastic Surgeon Dr. Joel Aronowitz.

The procedure was first performed by Dr. Keizo Sugimachi in Japan, and later underwent research trials in several European centers. Ms. Somers was enrolled as the first human subject in the U.S. research trial:

Adipose tissue is just another name for body fat. Fat grafting, also known as fat transfer or fat transplantation, has been available for many years. In laymans terms, it means sucking fat out of one(presumably undesired) place and injecting it into another (preferred) one. However, according to Dr. J. Peter Rubin, Chief of Plastic Surgery University of Pittsburgh:

The biggest problem encountered with fat grafting is that fat can lose volume or be absorbed by the body over time, leaving less of an affect from the original treatment.

However, fat tissue is made up of more than fat cells. It also contains those darlings of gene therapy-stem cells! And fat tissue contains proportionately more stem cells than other tissues- roughly one stem cell per 100 fat cells, compared to bone marrow, which contains one per 250,000 to 400,000 cells.

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Suzanne Somers used Belly Fat Stem Cells to grow Her New ...

This past month, while on the lecture circuit, I again heard many wild claims about how many more stem cells there were in fat thanbone marrow. The most recent claims now have this fat stem cell count number at 2,000 times more stem cells in fat. Are any of these numbers correct? Where did all of this information come from?

First, as youve read here, bone marrow stem cells are better for creating cartilage than fat stem cells with 13 papers published as of this week that back that statement up. We also have far more research that bone marrow works well to help orthopedic injuries than we have for fat stem cells. In addition, when weve used fat stem cells in the past weve been unimpressed.So lets explore the differences in stem cell content between the two in more depth.

When I asked a very knowledgeable physician who had a slide in his presentation that stated that fat had 2,000 X more stem cells where this slide came from, it turned out that it was prepared by the manufacturer of a fat stem cell processing device. When we both tried to search to find a reference to back this up, there was no scientific evidencethat supported this claim. However, since digging further into this issue, I think Ive found where the confusion began and how its been exploited by fat stem cell advocates without serious challenge.So where does this information come from? To begin that journey you first have to learn a bit about how many stem cells there are in fat.

As Ive blogged before, stem cell counts in fat are often wildly inflated. This seems to happen when less sophisticated flow cytometry devices run by scientists who should know better erroneously count a fat or oil droplet as a stem cell. Confusion is also abundant in how best to count stem cells in the first place. For example, do you count them using a simple culture technique called CFU analysis or with a more sophisticated machine called a flow cytometer? Each has its strengths and weaknesses. One of the problems with comparing fat and bone marrow stem cell counts is that since the stem cells from each source grow at different rates, using a culture based method where you grow cells (the CFU method) is fraught with apples to oranges error issues. Hence, for this discussion well use flow cytometry to discover the real differences between fat and bone marrow stem cell content. This is a complex machine that counts the markers on the stem cells, one by one, but very quickly.

First, lets just look at mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) content. MSCs represent about 1-5% of the total nucleated cells in fat versus 0.1-0.5% for bone marrow. This has not only been published, but its also consistent with what we see in our lab when we look at the MSC content of both tissues. So thats 10X more MSCs in fat than bone marrow. However, we have to be careful with that number, as there are many more nucleated cells in bone marrow. How many more? In one study each ml of bone marrow had about 1,000 times more nucleated cells per mg (roughly a ml) of fat. In fact, its this huge disparity in the total number of cells in each tissue that causes the nutty comparison numbers discussed above. For example, if you try to look at the percentageof stem cellsout of bone marrow that form colonies in culture (the CFU number), its going to be minuscule compared to fat. However, this is expressed as a percentage of total cells, which are 1,000 times greater in bone marrow! Even the flow cytometry data above is expressed as a percentage of the total cells being counted, with there being many more cells per ml in bone marrow. So the numeric advantage of a higher percentage of MSCs relative to the total cells in fat is washed away by the fact that there are far fewer total cells in fat. Now lets look atthe other stem cells found in bone marrow that arent present in fat.

Bone marrow contains not only MSCs, but also Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) which Ive blogged on previously are quite good at muscle repair. These arent found in fat in any significant quantity. How many of these HSCs are there in bone marrow? They represent about 1%+ of the total nucleated cells. So for our proprietary method of isolating stem cells from bone marrow, on averagewe get around 150 million total cells per ml of isolate injected (thats only from one of the fractions in bone marrow that we isolate). So thats 1.5 million HSCs per ml injected. Bone marrow also has endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are key in creating new blood supply, which is often critical for chronic orthopedic injuries, many of which dont heal because they happen in areas of poor blood supply. Finally, bone marrow also contains the newly discovered OCR cell which is specific for orthopedic tissue repair.

So does fat really have 2,000 times more stem cells than bone marrow? Nope. Does it have 500 times or even 10 times more? Nope. In fact, if you adjust for the fact that there are 1,000 more cells per unit volume in bone marrow than fat, the concept that fat has any more MSCs than bone marrow seems like a weak argument. In addition, once youadd in the fact that bone marrow has three stem cell types critical for orthopedic tissue repair that arent present in abundance in fat, the fat has more stem cells argument gets even weaker. The HPCs in bone marrow alone (without the EPCs and OCR cells) shows that bone marrow has more orthopedic injury relevant stem cells than fat. If you then look at studies showing that bone marrow MSCs outperform fat MSCs for things like cartilage repair, the case for using fat stem cells to treat orthopedic injuries becomes extremelyweak.

The upshot? The idea that fat has dramatically more stem cells than bone marrow seems like a lot of things these days in the stem cell wild west an urban myth. The mythseems to have been perpetuated by adipose stem cell advocates who began to compare the percentage of MSCs in fat to bone marrow using the proportion of MSCs to total cells found in the tissue. The proponents of the fat has more stem cells myth then left out a critical number that bone marrow has 1,000 times more cells per unit volume than fat. Oops! They also left out the fact that there are other relevant stem cells in bone marrow that arent in fat. In the end, when you look at the comparison critically, there are just as many if not more stem cells in bone marrow than fat!

Originally posted here:
The Fat Stem Cell Count Mirage... - Regenexx

Heavier Patients Permanently Damage Fat Stem Cells

I promised this week that I would delve deeper into the concept of adipose versus bone marrow stem cells.One of the concepts often brought up in support of using fat as a stem cell source is that its a plentiful resource in America. However, does being heavy make for more and better stem cells or does being heavy actually hurt stem cell quality? Regrettably it seems like the research is supporting that the later is more frequently the case heavy people have poor quality fat stem cells.

Stem cells are everywhere in our bodies in our skin, bones, muscles, organs, and fat. There are a good number of stem cells in fat which can be concentrated by breaking down the tissue in a simple procedure that our FDA regrettably categorizes as the creation of a prescriptiondrug. Despite that regulatory classification, there are no shortage of doctors and companies using fat stem cells to treat whatever ails you. Websites advertising the treatment of everything from Arthritis and ALS to MS and impotence using fat stem cells can be found all over the Internet. However, what if obesity itselfactually harmed the quality of the stem cells? The burgeoning fat stem cell industry would have some serious issues to solve.

The concept that the physical attributes of the patient may impact fat stem cells isnt new. For example, prior studies have shown that fat stem cells isolated from olderpatients werent as capable to doing things like creating new blood supply, a critical feat for tissue repair. In addition, other research has revealed that women over 40 have about half the number of fat stem cells as younger patients. Now a new study suggests that not only age, but being heavy negatively impacts fat stem cell health.

The new studylooked at the most common type of fat stem cell treatment being used stromal vascular fraction (SVF). This is digested and centrifuged fat that isolates a mix of cells, the vast minority of which are stem cells. In the research, the investigators looked at SVF from thinnerpatients (thinner than the average person in the U.S.), from very obese patients, and from formerly obese patients who had undergone successful bariatric surgery. Basically, the stem cells from obese women and formerly obese women excreted much more of a bad inflammatory chemical (IL-6) than those from thinner patients. Why is this an issue? Fat stem cells are frequently used to treat diseases where inflammation is out of control, so if they inadvertently secrete inflammatory chemicals, that could make the inflammatory disease worse. This makes sense, as obese men and women often suffer from diseases of chronic inflammation, so its no surprise that their stem cells may play a role in stoking that inflammatory fire.

The upshot? Fat stem cells from older patients tend to perform more poorly than those taken from younger patients. In older women there are also far fewer of them. Now this new research suggests that in obese women, they may function differently by releasing excessive amounts of pro-inflammatory chemicals. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that even after women have lost massive amounts of weight (almost half their body weight in this study), their stem cells still have this problem!

If you liked this post, you may really enjoy this book by the same author - Dr. Chris Centeno

Written by Regenexx Founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, this 150 page book explains the Regenexx approach to patients and orthopedic conditions. Whether youre are an existing patient or simply interested in the human body and how everything in the body ties together, you will enjoy exploring this book in-depth. With hyperlinks to more detailed information, related studies and commentary, this book condenses a huge amount of data and resources into an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Chris Centeno, M.D. is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics.

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Heavier Patients Permanently Damage Fat Stem Cells - Regenexx

Fat Stem Cell Arthritis Treatments: Are All Fat Stem Cells Equal?

There are an ever increasing supply of physicians who have taken a weekend course to deliver fat stem cell arthritis treatments. What should patients know? All stem cells are created equal, right? Wrong. Let me explain.

For many patients, the term stem cell means a single type of cell that can help treat disease. However, nothing could be farther from the truth, as there are hundreds of different kinds of stem cells, each with their own properties and uses. As an example of this, a recent paper highlights how fat stem cells taken from two different sources have completely different potentials in helping arthritis.

There are stem cells in your body that keep you alive. Believe it or not, these little repairmen are in every tissue you have. When an injury happens, they spring into action to help repair the local area. We accumulate small injuries everyday, so without these stem cells, we would soon be like an old car where the oil, tires, and windshield wipers were never replaced, a broken downshadow of our former selves.

Fat stem cells make more fat for a living. So if you had trauma to an area where they live, they will help create more fat tissue and the blood supply to support it. This is why theyre so good for cosmetic purposes, as adding fat that will stay in an area can be a big bonus in enhancing appearance. However, what they dont do all day is make cartilage, so fat stem cell use for orthopedics has been shown to be less than optimal in the peer reviewed research. Now a new study shows us just how important the location of stem cell harvest is to their final use.

The new study took fat stem cells from the fat deposits many Americans are trying to decrease and compared them to fat deposits in the knee. The fat stem cells in the knee all came from a very specific spot under the knee cap, the Infra-patellar Fat Pad (IFP). The belly fat stem cells turned out to be better at creating bone, but were quite poor at creating cartilage. The IFP cells were good at making cartilage and less adept at making bone. Why? multiple studies have shown that the daily function of the stem cell impacts its proclivities. So for example, stem cells that are from the heart are better at creating new heart muscle than stem cells taken from fat or bone marrow.

Why is this important? Many fat stem cell clinics often show studies performed by others that use IFP cells to help arthritis, when what theyre actually doing is harvesting the very different belly fat stem cells. Regrettably, the comparison is apples to oranges.

The upshot? A stem cell taken from one part of the body isnt the same as one taken from another. Most of the physicians using stem cells today who learned their craft in a weekend course werent taught this distinction. However, an educated patient, should know the difference!

If you liked this post, you may really enjoy this book by the same author - Dr. Chris Centeno

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Fat Stem Cell Arthritis Treatments: Are All Fat Stem Cells ...

Our Technology

The Cell Surgical Network uses adipose derived stem cells for deployment & clinical research. Early stem cell research has traditionally been associated with the controversial use of embryonic stem cells. The new focus is on non-embryonic adult mesenchymal stem cells which are found in a persons own blood, bone marrow, and fat. Most stem cell treatment centers in the world are currently using stem cells derived from bone marrow.

A recent technological breakthrough enables us to now use adipose (fat) derived stem cells. Autologous stem cells from a persons own fat are easy to harvest safely under local anesthesia and are abundant in quantities up to 2500 times those seen in bone marrow.

Clinical success and favorable outcomes appear to be related directly to the quantity of stem cells deployed. Once these adipose derived stem cells are administered back in to the patient, they have the potential to repair human tissue by forming new cells of mesenchymal origin, such as cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons, nerve, fat, muscle, blood vessels, and certain internal organs. Stem cells ability to form cartilage and bone makes them potentially highly effective in the treatment of degenerative orthopedic conditions. Their ability to form new blood vessels and smooth muscle makes them potentially very useful in the treatment of peyronies disease and impotence. Stem cells are used extensively in Europe and Asia to treat these conditions.

We have anecdotal and experimental evidence that stem cell therapy is effective in healing and regeneration. Stem cells seek out damaged tissues in order to repair the body naturally. The literature and internet is full of successful testimonials but we are still awaiting definitive studies demonstrating efficacy of stem cell therapy. Such data may take five or ten years to accumulate. In an effort to provide relief for patients suffering from certain degenerative diseases that have been resistant to common modalities of treatment, we are initiating pilot studies as experimental tests of treatment effectiveness with very high numbers of adipose derived stem cells obtained from fat. Adipose fat is an abundant and reliable source of stem cells.

The Cell Surgical Networks cell harvesting and isolation techniques are based on technology from Korea. This new technological breakthrough allows patients to safely receive their own autologous stem cells in extremely large quantities. Our treatments and research are patient funded and we have endeavored successfully to make it affordable. All of our sterile procedures are non-invasive and done under local anesthesia. Patients who are looking for non-surgical alternatives to their degenerative disorders can participate in our trials by filling out our treatment application to determine if they are candidates. The Cell Surgical Network is proud to be state of the art in the new field of Regenerative Medicine. RETURN TO TOP

We are currently in the process of setting up FDA approved protocols for stem cell banking in collaboration with a reputable cryo-technology company. This enables a person to receive autologous stem cells at any time in the future without having to undergo liposuction which may be inconvenient or contraindicated. Having your own stem cells available for medical immediate use is a valuable medical asset.

Provisions are nearly in place for this option and storage of your own stem cells obtained by liposuction at CSN or from fat obtained from cosmetic procedures performed elsewhere should be possible in the near future. RETURN TO TOP

Adult (NonEmbryonic) Mesenchymal Stem Cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to replace dying cells and regenerate damaged tissue. These special cells seek out areas of injury, disease and destruction where they are capable of regenerating healthy cells and enabling a persons natural healing processes to be accelerated. As we gain a deeper understanding of their medical function and apply this knowledge, we are realizing their enormous therapeutic potential to help the body heal itself. Adult stem cells have been used for a variety of medical treatments to repair and regenerate acute and chronicially damaged tissues in humans and animals. The use of stem cells is not FDA approved for the treatment of any specific disease in the United States at this time and their use is therefore investigational. Many reputable international centers have been using stem cell therapy to treat various chronic degenerative conditions as diverse as severe neurologic diseases, renal failure, erectile dysfunction, degenerative orthopedic problems, and even cardiac and pulmonary diseases to name a few. Adult stem cells appear to be particularly effective at repairing cartilage in degenerated joints. RETURN TO TOP

Regenerative Medicine is the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to damage, or congenital defects. This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by stimulating previously irreparable organs to heal themselves. (Wikipedia) RETURN TO TOP

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Faqs, What Are Stem Cells, What Is Stem Cell Research

What can Natural Fat Transfer do for you? The signs of aging can effect every area of our face and body. Now through new cosmetic surgery techniques involving fat transfer you can smooth out lines and wrinkles, even enhance your breasts and buttocks, with Natural Fat Transfer. If youre considering a cosmetic surgery procedure to enhance your breast or buttocks, plump the skin around your lips or smooth out lines on your face, Serro Rejuvenation Center has the expertise to provide your Natural Fat Transfer.

Natural Fat Transfer is a safe, natural procedure that can be used to contour the face and hands by plumping up the skin. Breast and buttocks can be enhanced to give you that fuller and more shapely body. The overall appearance of the face and body is more youthful as a result. Scars and other deformities can also be treated with Natural Fat Transfer. This safe, cost-effective procedure can give you the "Natural Look of Subtle Perfection!"

How is Natural Fat Transfer Different from Dermal Fillers? The most popular cosmetic surgery technique for reversing the signs of aging is injection of dermal fillers.Less invasive than a full face lift, an injectable dermal filler can restore a youthful appearance by adding volume beneath the skin. There are a variety of dermal fillers such as, Restylane and Juvederm (hyaluronic acid), Radiesse (calcium hydroxylate),and Sculptra Aesthetic (poly-L-lactic acid),made for this purpose. Over time the body slowly absorbs these dermal fillers and the treatment must be repeated. On average, dermal filler treatments last six months to a year with Sculpta lasting two years or more.

Natural Fat Transfer, also known as micro-lipoinjection, uses a patients own fat as a dermal filler. Unwanted fat is removed from the body throughBody Jet and then injected into the face, hands, breast or buttocks. Some of this fat survives the transfer and becomes living tissue in the new area, so a fat transfer treatment lasts longer than a typical dermal filler treatment. Fat transfer is already being used for natural breast augmentationand natural buttocks augmentationprocedures with excellent results, and now it is gaining in popularity as a dermal filler for the delicate skin on the face and hands.

How is Natural Fat Transfer Performed? The fat transfer procedure is non-invasive and requires very little down-time for recovery. The procedure involves two separate steps. First, Dr. Serro will use liposuction to remove fat from the thighs, abdomen, waist, or hips of the patient. The fat is then prepared and injected into the areas that have been targeted for treatment. A topical anesthetic may be used to numb the injection area. Fat transfer injections are over in a manner of minutes and patients can return to their normal activities almost immediately.

Facial volumizers, such as Sculptra Aesthetic, are usually administered in two or three sessions every four to six weeks to get the maximum benefit of the product. This is also true of fat transfer. Once a series of treatments have been completed, the fat transfer results will last from one year to five years. For many patients, the benefits of fat transfer face and hand treatments are longer-lasting than for other types of dermal fillers.

Is this procedure approved or is it controversial? Many cosmetic surgeons remember the poor results that used to occur in the past when fat transfer was used. We now have improved techniques and technologies that help maintain the survival of the fat. Thus, better survival of the fat results in longer results. One such technology is the BodyJet LipoSculpture technique that harvests the fat in a more gentle fashion. Recent clinical studies have shown up to a 90% fat cell survival rate from natural fat harvesting with BodyJet Water-Liposuction technique.

Stem Cells and Fat Transfer FAQ's

Why are stem cells important? Some of the most exciting scientific research in recent years has been focused on stem cells because of their unique regenerative abilities and potential to generate, restore and maintain healthy tissue. The discovery of a rich, natural supply of stem cells within adult body fat has unlocked new potential for stem cell harvesting. In fact, harvesting stem cells from fat is vastly more effective than harvesting stem cells from other areas, such as bone marrow. Recent advances in water jet assisted liposuction (Body Jet) help to protect and sustain these beneficial stem cells during the fat harvesting process, creating a new era in natural, stem cell enriched fat transfer.

How do stem cells help improve the results of natural fat transfer? The idea for removing fat from one area of the body and using it to naturally augment volume in another area is not new. But, older methods of extracting and transferring fat often produced unsatisfactory results because up to 50% of the transferred fat would not survive. The Natural Fat Transfer Stem Cell Harvestingprocess helps ensure the survival of natural, healthy fat. Because the process for removing fat is so gentle, fat and stem cells washed from the body are kept intact and viable for transfer. The stem cells within the fat will encourage the growth of new blood vessels to nourish the transplanted fat and may also stimulate the production of new fat cells.

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Stem Cells and Fat Transfer| Dr. Serrao, Orlando Florida

Fat Stem Cell Therapy: The Impacts of Aging, Disease, and Weight on Cells

Fat stem cell therapy continues to explode, with literally 20 new clinics popping up every week. I blogged awhile back that fat stem cells taken from overweight patients are not as potent as fat taken from thinner patients. Three new studies published this past few months add to that discussion. The focus of the recent investigations are how disease, aging, and weight impacts fat stem cells.

The first study looked at fat stem cells from patients with cardiovascular disease. First the good news, when fat stem cells from older patients with heart disease were compared to those from older patients without heart disease, there wasnt a difference in the ability of the fat stem cells to make new blood vessels. Now the bad news, fat stem cells from older patients in both categories were less able to make new blood vessels when compared to fat stem cells from younger patients.

The second study also looked at fat stem cells and aging. The money shot graph from that paper is above. Regrettably this study wasnt very sophisticated and made little effort to look at stem cell quality like the first. They also only looked at the nucleated cell count in the fat, which is a very rough metric of the stem cells in the fat (only a very small portion of the nucleated cells are stem cells). For more information on what these numbers mean, see my Doctor-Patient Guide to what stem cell numbers mean. What did they find? This rough metric of a fat stem cell count declined substantially after age 40. After that age, it dropped to a bit more than half of the value that they found in women under 40.

Finally, a third interesting study looked at the lifespan of fat stem cells from normal weight, obese, and post bariatric surgery patients. Interestingly, the stem cells from obese patients had a shorter lifespan and were less healthy than either the stem cells from the normal weight or post weight loss surgery patients. Basically, being overweight hurt the DNA of the fat stem cells.

The upshot? Fat stem cells are impacted by aging and being overweight. Being older and heavy is likely a double whammy for your cells. While some of these issues can be dealt with via dosing (administer more fat stem cells), the third study showed that cellular DNA damage was accumulating in the fat stem cells of patients who were overweight. Therefore solving the issue in some patients may not be as easy as just increasing the dose.

If you liked this post, you may really enjoy this book by the same author - Dr. Chris Centeno

Written by Regenexx Founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, this 150 page book explains the Regenexx approach to patients and orthopedic conditions. Whether youre are an existing patient or simply interested in the human body and how everything in the body ties together, you will enjoy exploring this book in-depth. With hyperlinks to more detailed information, related studies and commentary, this book condenses a huge amount of data and resources into an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Chris Centeno, M.D. is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics.

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Fat Stem Cell Therapy: The Impacts of Aging, Disease, and ...

Ive blogged before on the stem cell wild west, or the concept that theres more misinformation on stem cells these days for patients and physicians than good information. Many colleagues act surprised when I tell them the FDA considers the stem cells that they are isolating from fat in their office an illegal unapproved drug. I then have to explain loads of information to them, so I thought that instead Id write a blog post about the topic and give everyone a link.

First, so far, looking at all of the data published by FDA and the existing and planned regulations, same day stem cell procedures using bone marrow dont seem to be impacted by any FDA rule changes. Second,for a much more detailed (and boring) technical discussion on the topic, see my recent paper published in the AAPMR journal. Ive also published another similar paper in the same journal (link here). Third, I have long disagreed with the FDAs position to regulate fat stem cells as a drug, as both papers describe. Having said that, the FDA gets to create the rules on this issue, so dont kill the messenger.

So whats the evidence that the FDA considers fat stem cells created at the bedside an unapproved drug? To understand this, you first have to understand that the agency created a line in the sand approach called manipulation. If what you do to cells crosses this line, then the cells (even those from the same patient and even if what you do occurs in the same surgical procedure in the doctors office) are considered a drug. TheFDA began making its position clear on this issue in 2011. The agency was asked by physicians wishing to process fat at the bedside to obtain stem cells to treat knee arthritis whether the process would make the cells a drug or would covered under the practice of medicine (i.e. not a drug). As you can see from reading the FDA response linked above, the FDA considered the cells a drug. A very similar response was obtained when a Maryland plastic surgeon asked if fat processed in his office to obtain stem cells for a cosmetic procedure would be a drug.

If the two above letters left any doubt in anyones mind that the FDA considered fat stem cells a drug, more recently, the FDA has issued several draft guidances to spell out its position. The most recent document seems to be aimedsquarely at doctors who believe that processing the patients own fat stem cells in their office isntthe manufacture of an illegal drug, but rather just the routine practice of medicine.

So heres a quote from that document:

Processing to isolate non-adipocyte or non-structural components from adipose tissue (with or without subsequent cell culture or expansion) is generally considered more than minimal manipulation. This is because the connective tissue and structural components of the adipose tissue are entirely removed from the non-adipocyte or non-structural isolates, thereby altering the original relevant characteristics relating to the tissues utility for reconstruction, repair, or replacement.

Still not clear? Try this paragraph:

Example A-1: Adipose tissue is recovered by tumescent liposuction. The adipose tissue undergoes processing or manipulation (e.g., enzymatic digestion, mechanical disruption, etc.) to isolate cellular components, commonly referred to as stromal vascular fraction, which is considered a potential source of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells for clinical therapeutic uses. This processing breaks down and eliminates the structural components that function to provide cushioning and support, thereby altering the original relevant characteristics of the HCT/P relating to its utility for reconstruction, repair, or replacement. Therefore, based on the definition of minimal manipulation for structural tissue, this processing would generally be considered more than minimal manipulation.

I can just hear the peanut gallery now, shouting, but wait, Im still covered as a doctor under the same surgical procedure exemption (21 CFR 1271.15(b))! What does this mean? The FDA carves out an exemption from the drug regulations for doctors who minimally process tissue during the same surgical procedure.

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Are Fat Stem Cells a Drug? - Regenexx

Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells, are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in storing energy as fat.

There are two types of adipose tissue, white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which are also known as white fat and brown fat, respectively, and comprise two types of fat cells. Most recently, the presence of beige adipocytes with a gene expression pattern distinct from either white or brown adipocytes has been described. Also another special type of adipose tissue is being studied, pink adipose tissue, which seems to be involved in mammary duct development in female breasts. [1][2]

White fat cells or monovacuolar cells contain a large lipid droplet surrounded by a layer of cytoplasm. The nucleus is flattened and located on the periphery. A typical fat cell is 0.1mm in diameter with some being twice that size and others half that size. The fat stored is in a semi-liquid state, and is composed primarily of triglycerides and cholesteryl ester. White fat cells secrete many proteins acting as adipokines such as resistin, adiponectin, leptin and Apelin. An average human adult has 30 billion fat cells with a weight of 30lbs or 13.5kg. If excess weight is gained as an adult, fat cells increase in size about fourfold before dividing and increasing the absolute number of fat cells present.[3]

Brown fat cells or plurivacuolar cells are polygonal in shape. Unlike white fat cells, these cells have considerable cytoplasm, with lipid droplets scattered throughout. The nucleus is round, and, although eccentrically located, it is not in the periphery of the cell. The brown color comes from the large quantity of mitochondria. Brown fat, also known as "baby fat," is used to generate heat.

Pre-adipocytes are undifferentiated fibroblasts that can be stimulated to form adipocytes. Recent studies shed light into potential molecular mechanisms in the fate determination of pre-asipocytes although the exact lineage of adipocyte is still unclear.[4][5]

Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into adipocytes, connective tissue, muscle or bone.

Areolar connective tissue is composed of adipocytes.

The term "lipoblast" is used to describe the precursor of the adult cell. The term "lipoblastoma" is used to describe a tumor of this cell type.[6]

Even after marked weight loss, the body never loses adipocytes. As a rule, to facilitate changes in weight, the adipocytes in the body merely gain or lose fat content. However, if the adipocytes in the body reach their maximum capacity of fat, they may replicate to allow additional fat storage.

Adult rats of various strains became obese when they were fed a highly palatable diet for several months. Analysis of their adipose tissue morphology revealed increases in both adipocyte size and number in most depots. Reintroduction of an ordinary chow diet[clarification needed] to such animals precipitated a period of weight loss during which only mean adipocyte size returned to normal. Adipocyte number remained at the elevated level achieved during the period of weight gain.[7]

Excerpt from:
Adipocyte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A hot topic in biomedical sciences is converting white bad fat into brown good fat.

The latter type of fat is viewed more positively because it seems to be associated with a relatively metabolically more active, leaner state.

Could we somehow convert white fat to brown fat and in so doing have a beneficial effect on health?

Researchers from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute just came out with some new research on potential stem cell-related approaches to the much-vaunted conversion of white-to-brown fat.

Thepaperwas posted yesterday in the excellent journalNature Cell Biology from a team led by Dr. Chad Cowan and is entitled:White-to-brown metabolic conversion of human adipocytes by JAK inhibition.

The authors conducted an elegant screen (see Figure 1a above) to look for molecules that could shift the fate of fat tissue produced from stem cells toward brown fat. They found so-called JAK kinase inhibitors could do the trick in human cultured cells.

This is heady stuff.

The Harvard Gazette talks about it ina piece entitled A Pill to Shed Fat?:

Cowans group has found two small molecules that convert fat stem cells, which normally would produce white fat, into brown-like fat cells. These brown-like fat cells burn excess energy and thereby reduce the size and numbers of white fat cells.

I find this paper very exciting, but I wonder if it is a bittoo exciting if you know what I mean. For example, take a look at this statement that is bouncing around in the mainstream media about this fat finding:

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Harvard Predicts Fat-Burning Stem Cell Pill To Replace ...

Stem Cells from Fat: Cells with Potential

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We now know that fat tissue is the bodys most important reserve of vital cells, including stem cells and so-called progenitor cells. Since its foundation in 1994 body fat and its potential are in the focus in Clinic DDr. Heinrich. The regenerative effects documented in many studies suggest therapeutic applications in orthopaedics and other areas of medicine.

These findings are not new: Over the course of many years, practitioners of veterinary medicine have made positive experiences in the therapeutic use of autologous stem cells for thousands of dogs and racehorses. Stem cells extracted from the animals autologous fat appear to be suited for the regeneration of damaged joints, bones and cartilages. Furthermore, they are administered with the goal of general regeneration and increasing performance.

Centers worldwide are now also carrying out therapy with adult stem cells from autologous fat on humans. Due to the enormous potential for success and possible huge benefits, Clinic DDr. Heinrich is now offering regenerative stem cell therapy.

Regenerative stem cell therapies have the potential to regenerate weakened tissue and organs and therefore can be used for treating a variety of diseases resulting from organ or tissue weakness. Numerous studies have been made worldwide in which stem cells are used in the therapy of heart disease, diabetes, joint disease, neurological and endocrinological diseases and many other degenerative processes.

When stem cells differentiate into adult cells, the micro-environment plays an important role. The surrounding tissue in which the stem cells lodge apparently determines which type of cells (skin, fat, muscle cells, etc.) evolve out of them. Stem cells are currently not used in cases of cancer, because they could stimulate the growth of existing tumors.

Stem cell therapy with autologous stem cells from fat tissue is carried out on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia. During the first step, a small quantity of fat is obtained with gentle liposuction using microcannulas. The stem cells isolated from it in a complex procedure are injected immediately afterwards according to the indication, either locally at the affected organ or tissue or systemically. In case of systemic administration (usually intravenous using infusion), stem cells seem to find their own way to those building sites in the body at which their regenerative and healing effect is needed. Repeat treatment sessions are often recommended.

The therapeutic effect generally begins several weeks after the application. Any further treatment can be carried out several months later at the earliest, regardless of the improvement achieved. Check-ups after surgery are scheduled on an individual basis.

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Stem Cell Therapy with Stem Cells from Autologous Fat ...

About the Procedure

Your fat is your best weapon to naturally combat signs of aging. As we age, we lose volume to areas such as the face, breasts, buttocks and hands, making us look and feel older than we are. In the past the approach has been to lift, nip and tuck the loose skin which often yields unnatural looking results.

New techniques in fat transfer and stem cell augmentation have made fat transfer a viable and successful option for many people. Fat from unwanted areas can be transferred to other parts of the body to permanently restore volume with a youthful, natural looking appearance without traditional invasive surgery.

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"Can you take some fat from down there and put it up here? That is the question women have been asking cosmetic surgeons for years. Natural breast augmentation is an excellent option for women who want to restore lost volume and enhance their appearance without the un-natural look or feel implants.

Using advanced technology and technique, fat is carefully harvested from unwanted areas of the body and transferred to the places you do want it. This procedure can be enhanced with your own adult stem cells that are transferred for optimal results, faster recovery, and improved skin tone.

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The buttocks are an important factor in the shape of a woman. Women with flat buttocks had very few options for enhancing their shape until now. Fat transfer is a natural option that takes fat from unwanted areas of the body and moves it to the places you do want to permanently increase volume and create a rounder, more desirable shape.

No other procedure offers the beautiful, natural looking, long term results that are achieved with natural buttocks augmentation.

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Natural Breast Augmentation | Stem Cell Breast ...

With Stem Cells being used in the media and by other surgeons like an every day word, we want to clarify our standings on its use

Fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or autologous fat transfer, is the process of using the patients own fat to increase the volume of fat in another area of their body. The fat is harvested or extracted with a liposuction cannula. They are prepared for reintroduction into the body and injected into the new part of the body where the additional bulk is used for medical or cosmetic purposes. The most common donor areas, where fat is taken from, are the stomach, thighs, and waist.

The procedure is minimally invasive making it very appealing. Another advantage of fat transfer is that the body does not reject it because it is the patients own fat. However, there is a rate of absorption, a percentage of the transferred fat, that does not survive. Therefore, it is extremely important to select a surgeon that uses a proven technique with the highest fat survival rate.

Many women have turned to the Miami Breast Center looking for natural and permanent results. Dr. Khouri is a pioneer in the use of autologous fat to reconstruct and augment breasts. He is able to rebuild an entire breast using only the patients fat and the external tissue expander BRAVA. The BRAVA bra is worn a few weeks prior to surgery and stretches the tissue, both externally and internally, creating a matrix into which the transferred fat will be injected. This matrix is essential for fat placement and survival.

Dr. Khouri uses a very fine needle-like cannula, that he developed, to gently perform liposuction. The fat naturally contains stem cells, which are harvested in the process along with the fat and preserved in the transfer. However, nothing artificial is added nor biologically manipulated within the harvested fat.

Studies have shown that breasts rebuilt with this fat transfer process, pre-expanded with BRAVA, result in high fat survival and last forever. They look and feel natural and retain near-normal sensation. Compared to implants that on average need to be replaced every 10 years and can leave a woman with non-sensate breasts and nipples, Dr. Khouri offers a great alternative.

Growing concerns have emerged over the clinical practices and marketing claims made by the plastic surgery community promoting stem cell use in fat transfers. The term stem cells is hyped by the media and used by some surgeons like an everyday word. A small group of unethical practitioners are deliberately misleading and exploiting the public with false claims. Therefore, a task force was convened to address the false advertising claims that are not substantiated by scientific evidence.

The task force was made up of two of the worlds largest organizations of board-certified plastic surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). They issued a joint position statement during The Aesthetic Meeting 2011, the annual meeting of ASAPS.

Dr. Roger Khouri himself sat on the task force and participated in the joint position statement. Here are a few of the recommendations made by the task force:

Dr. Khouri is a strong proponent of truth in advertising and very clearly states that his technique is a fat grafting procedure and not a stem cell procedure. Our technique of fat harvesting, preparation, and grafting preserves the native stem cells in the fat graft because we use very fine needle-like cannulas to gently liposuction the patients fat. The harvested fat is naturally rich in stem cells. Nothing artificial is added nor biologically manipulated within the harvested fat.

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Fat Transfer, Grafting to Breast using Stem Cells Truth ...

At the 2010 annual ASPS plastic surgery meeting in Toronto, I listened to Dr. Alexandra Cond Greens research presentation which concluded that 1) you can find quantities of stem cells using centrifugation techniques only without the use of collagenase, 2) the pellet at the bottom of the tube contains the highest % of stem cells and 3) stem cell enhanced fat grafting is better than regular fat grafting.

After she presented her paper, Dr. Peter Rubin, University of Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Chief, (aka Mr. Stem Cell) said: Dr. Cond Green what you are proposing is quite provocative.

We believe that Dr. Rubin was referring to her findings that you can obtain stem cells by simply centrifuging the fat. This would be the golden minimal manipulation that could keep the FDA out of reach because these stem cells would not be classified as a drug! Dr. Cond Green, a plastic surgeon working with Dr. Pitanguys lab in Brazil, is onto something big here and I have invited her to share her results with you. Please see her comments below.

Figure 1

Autologous fat graft is considered nowadays the ideal soft-tissue filler because it is abundant, host compatible, and can be harvested easily and repeatedly. However many variations in long-term results of transplanted adipose tissue have been reported due to absorption and volume loss. Careful measures are employed to harvest, process and inject the fat in order to get the best possible intake. Still there is no consensus on the best method to prepare the fat and many controversies exist among these different steps.

Also, we have yet to know which part of the adipose tissue is more important for the graft take, the adipocytes, the other cells (stem cells, endothelial cells) or both.(Fig 1)

New evidence points to an improvement in vascularity and blood flow when stem cells are more concentrated in the fat to be transplanted. For therapeutic approaches, reproducible protocols of adipose-derived stem cells isolation and a large amount of cells are necessary, in order to respond to the increasing demand. Therefore, to practically understand what happens when adipose tissue is manipulated in the operating room, we studied the most common methods of fat processing employed by most plastic surgeons, in order to see which method yields the highest quantity of stem cells.

Under loco regional anesthesia, we aspirated adipose tissue from the inferior abdomen of healthy adult females undergoing liposuction with a blunt 3 mm cannula attached to a 10 ml Luer-lock syringe, using the superwet technique (at a rate of 1 ml of a solution containing normal saline with 1:1,000,000 of epinephrine per milliliter of aspirated tissue).

The lipoaspirates were separated into three samples that were processed by decantation (under the action of gravity in the syringe), washing with normal saline (in a ratio of 1:1 (vol/vol), 3 times) and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm/ 1,200g for 3 minutes.

Figure 2

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Centrifugation of Fat Tissue Yields More Stem Cells than ...

What is "Stem Cell Facelift"?

"Stem Cell Facelift" is not really an accurate description for a procedure where the patient's own fat is transplanted to the face in certain key areas to replace volume lost with aging. In many cases this is done with some type of facelift to address both volume loss and the effects of gravity. But the term stem cell facelift is only referring to the fat transfer to the face and therefore it should not be called a facelift.

What is fat grafting?

Sometimes also called fat transfer, autologous fat grafting, fat injections or fat grafting refers to the procedure of obtaining one's own fat from the abdomen or other parts of the body and re-implanting it with micro needles into the face, preferably within the deeper tissues of the face to obtain volume. As an injectable filler, your own fat is much better than a synthetic filler since it is your own tissue and lasts longer than any other filler.

What is longevity of fat grafting or injections?

Our doctor believes fat grafts persist longer than any other filler and does not involve any allergic reactions. With Our doctor's microinjection methods and with his careful harvesting techniques done at low pressures to preserve the membranes of the fat cells, 50 percent of the injected fat can last for 5 years. Our doctor has specialized methods to get the fat cells to preserve its integrity which is important for longevity. Our doctor points out that it is not the fat that is important but the fat cell for longevity of the transplanted graft to last.

Can fat transplantation to the face "so called stem cell facelift" be done as an isolated procedure without a traditional facelift?

Yes, if the problem is only volume loss, then autologous fat transplantation can be done alone. However, very often gravitational skin looseness in the neck and jowl also needs to be addressed with volume replenishment. Our doctor states the stem cell fat grafting and traditional facelifts are complementary and each address different components, ie. Volume loss and gravity.

What exactly is all the "hype" about stem cells?

Facial fat transfer procedures revolumize lost facial volume and give a very youthful effect but there is strong evidence that fat contains adult stem cells. Our doctor, a New York City facial plastic surgeon, believes that these stem cells may be responsible for a rejuvenating effect on the skin and other tissues of the face, other than just a volume filling effect from fat. Much research is currently being done about these extra benefits of stem cells and Our doctor is currently performing research on this topic with other worldwide researchers to determine its validity.

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Stem Cell Fat Grafting | Fat Transplantation

With a new document released today the FDA is more clearly on a path to regulate dubious stem cell clinics in the US.

There are more than 100 such American clinics that are selling stem cell treatments to patients and almost all of them use non-FDA approved stem cell products isolated from fat tissue.

The clinics have argued that they do not need FDA approval and just keep on raking inbig profits from vulnerable patients.

They have claimed no need for FDA approval because they believe that the stem cells isolated from fat tissue that they use are not drugs because they are not more than minimally manipulated. In English that means that the clinics are arguing that the purified fat stem cells are basically the same as overall fat tissue.

To me that doesnt make any sense.

A groundbreaking draft guidance statement today by the FDA for the first time sends the messagetothe clinics that the clinics are very likely wrong and could be subject to future regulatory action.

Itis important to point out that this FDA statement that mentions fat stem cells isdraft guidance meaning that it is not yet finalized, but make no mistake that this is the clearest snapshot to date on the FDAs views on fat stem cells and it is unlikely to fundamentally change during the comment period.

The bottom line is that fat stem cells are viewed by the FDA as drugs that must be vetted and approved prior to use by physicians and clinics.It also reinforces statements fromdraft guidance issued earlier in October that narrowed exceptions to the same-day surgical procedure guidance for use of biological materials such as stem cells.

In the new document today, the FDA even sets out isolation of fat stem cells as an example of more than minimal manipulation (emphasis mine):

Example 10-1: Original relevant characteristics of adipose tissue, a structural tissue, to pad and cushion against shocks generally include its bulk and lipid storage capacity. A manufacturer recovers adipose tissue by tumescent liposuction and processes the adipose tissue to isolate cellular components, commonly referred to as stromal vascular fraction, which is considered a potential source of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells. The HCT/P generally is considered more than minimally manipulated because the processing breaks down and eliminates the structural components that provide cushioning and support, thereby altering the original relevant characteristics of the HCT/P relating to its utility for reconstruction, repair, or replacement.

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Breaking: New FDA Draft Guidance Views Fat Stem Cells As ...