Finally, a benefit from those love handles, pot bellies and beer stomachs! Scientists found that fat taken from the inner thigh and lower abdomen was rich in stem cells. This study, reported in August’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, is the first of its kind to pinpoint a variation between stem cell concentrations in different portions of the body’s fat stores.
We already know that stem cells have huge potential for repairing injuries, but we also know that there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of embryo stem cells, the ones with the most plasticity. With the discovery of a plentiful source of adult stem cells, there is an increased potential for studying how these valuable resources can be applied to healing spine injuries, repairing bones, eradicating diseases such as cancer…all without the censor of those against embryonic stem cell research.
Of course, this journal is more concerned with the ways in which these cells can be used to benefit the plastic surgery industry. They would like to find ways to erase wrinkles and generate new tissue for their procedures, and who are we to argue? If the search for eternal youth unearths valuable resources that will help those who are trying to recover from aspinal cord injury, then we are all for it!