Molly Wanner, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues used a 1,210 nm laser at varied fluences of 70, 80, and 90 J/cm2 on 10 mm spots on the abdomens of 24 adult subjects under local anesthesia. Biopsies were conducted at exposed and control sites at either one to three days or four to seven weeks. Nitroblue tetrazolium chloride (NBTC) staining was used to check for thermal damage to adipose tissue.

The authors note that the laser treatments were painful and, for some patients, were further marred by malfunction of contact cooling. At one to three days after exposure, a loss of NBTC staining was observed indicating damage to fat cells, however there was also thermal damage to the skin, believed to be caused by the cooling malfunction, observed in two of 14 subjects. At four to seven weeks after exposure, the researchers observed lipomembranous changes to the fat in 89 percent of test sites and, surprisingly, 33 percent of unexposed control sites, which they speculated resulted from handpiece pressure causing tissue ischemia.

“Clinical trials are merited, using longer exposures, better skin cooling, and larger exposure spots than tested in this pilot histological study. Pain management will be important in such studies,” Wanner and colleagues conclude.

Several of the authors reported financial arrangements with companies developing technologies for the removal of fat.

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Human fat removed during liposuction is “liquid gold” which can be easily converted to stem cells, researchers have said.

Some of the cells included in the fat can begin the process of reprogramming to stem cells immediately, without the need to grow them in a laboratory for weeks, according to researchers at Stanford University.

Skin cells, one of the most commonly used to make stem cells, have to be grown for between three or four weeks before the process can begin, they warn.

Scientists have developed techniques to turn different types of cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), which can then be turned into other tissue cells.

The scientists believe that the cells, called adipose cells, are more “primed” for change than other cells.

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr Joseph Wu, who led the study, said: “Not only can we start with a lot of cells, we can reprogram them much more efficiently. Fibroblasts, or skin cells, must be grown in the lab for three weeks or more before they can be reprogrammed.

“But these stem cells from fat are ready to go right away.”

Scientists have previously used adipose cells to reverse the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in a small group of patients.

Author: Daily Telegraph

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“We’ve identified a great natural resource,” said Stanford surgery professor and co-author of the research, Michael Longaker, MD, who has called the readily available liposuction leftovers “liquid gold.” Reprogramming adult cells to function like embryonic stem cells is one way researchers hope to create patient-specific cell lines to regenerate tissue or to study specific diseases in the laboratory.

“Thirty to 40 percent of adults in this country are obese,” agreed cardiologist Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, the paper’s senior author. “Not only can we start with a lot of cells, we can reprogram them much more efficiently. Fibroblasts, or skin cells, must be grown in the lab for three weeks or more before they can be reprogrammed. But these stem cells from fat are ready to go right away.”

The fact that the cells can also be converted without the need for mouse-derived “feeder cells” may make them an ideal starting material for human therapies. Feeder cells are often used when growing human skin cells outside the body, but physicians worry that cross-species contamination could make them unsuitable for human use.

The findings will be published online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Longaker is the deputy director of Stanford’s Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute and director of children’s surgical research at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Wu is an assistant professor of cardiology and radiology, and a member of Stanford’s Cardiovascular Institute.

Even those of us who are not obese would probably be happy to part with a couple of pounds (or more) of flab. Nestled within this unwanted latticework of fat cells and collagen are multipotent cells called adipose, or fat, stem cells. Unlike highly specialized skin-cell fibroblasts, these cells in the fat have a relatively wide portfolio of differentiation options—becoming fat, bone or muscle as needed. It’s this pre-existing flexibility, the researchers believe, that gives these cell an edge over the skin cells.

“These cells are not as far along on the differentiation pathway, so they’re easier to back up to an earlier state,” said first author and postdoctoral scholar Ning Sun, PhD, who conducted the research in both Longaker’s and Wu’s laboratories. “They are more embryonic-like than fibroblasts, which take more effort to reprogram.”

These reprogrammed iPS cells are usually created by expressing four genes, called Yamanaka factors, normally unexpressed (or expressed at very low levels) in adult cells.

Sun found that the fat stem cells actually express higher starting levels of two of the four reprogramming genes than do adult skin cells—suggesting that these cells are already primed for change. When he added all four genes, about 0.01 percent of the skin-cell fibroblasts eventually became iPS cells but about 0.2 percent of the fat stem cells did so—a 20-fold improvement in efficiency.

The new iPS cells passed the standard tests for pluripotency: They formed tumors called teratomas when injected into immunocompromised mice, and they could differentiate into cells from the three main tissue types in the body, including neurons, muscle and gut epithelium. The researchers are now investigating whether the gene expression profiles of the fat stem cells could be used to identify a subpopulation that could be reprogrammed even more efficiently.

“The idea of reprogramming a cell from your body to become anything your body needs is very exciting,” said Longaker, who emphasized that the work involved not just a collaboration between his lab and Wu’s, but also between the two Stanford institutes. “The field now needs to move forward in ways that the Food and Drug Administration would approve —with cells that can be efficiently reprogrammed without the risk of cross-species contamination—and Stanford is an ideal place for that to happen.”

“Imagine if we could isolate fat cells from a patient with some type of congenital cardiac disease,” said Wu. “We could then differentiate them into cardiac cells, study how they respond to different drugs or stimuli and see how they compare to normal cells. This would be a great advance.”

In addition to Sun, Wu and Longaker, other Stanford collaborators on the research include postdoctoral scholars Nicholas Panetta, MD, Deepak Gupta, MD, and Shijun Hu, PhD; graduate student Kitchener Wilson; medical student Andrew Lee; research assistant Fangjun Jia, PhD; associate professor of pathology and of pediatrics Athena Cherry, PhD; and professor of cardiothoracic surgery Robert Robbins, MD.

The research was supported by the Mallinckrodt Foundation, the American Heart Association, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, the Oak Foundation and the Hagey Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine.

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April 26, 2010 (Washington) — You’ve probably seen the billboards, not tomention the glossy magazine ads, touting the benefits of laser-assistedliposuction. But is it really that “smart or that “cool?”

The answer depends on whom you ask. Advocates say laser liposuction involvesless bruising and a quicker recovery time. And new research presented at theannual meeting of the American society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery inWashington, D.C., suggests laser liposuction also results in the much-covetedskin-tightening effect.

But others say laser liposuction merely adds to the cost of traditionalliposuction, not the results, and increases the risk of side effects, namelyburns.

Laser liposuction uses lasers to liquefy the fat before it is removed,making it easier to vacuum out via liposuction. Lasers may also stimulate theproduction of collagen and elastin, which results in firmer, tighter, andsmoother skin. Lasers may also coagulate small blood vessels in the area, whichtranslates to less bruising.

In one study, patients had laser liposuction on one side of their abdomenand traditional liposuction on the other side. They had more elasticity on thelaser side at three months then on the side with traditional liposuction.

“Skin loses elasticity and gains laxity, so for areas with loose skin, laserlipo may be the way to go,” study researcher Barry DiBernardo, MD, tells WebMD.DiBernardo is a plastic surgeon in Montclair, N.J. and a consultant forCynosure, maker of Smartlipo Triplex, a laser energy device used for laserliposuction. “It’s not magic. It’s just another tool that can add skintightening to improve the overall result.”

Laser Lipo: Risk of Burns

It’s not for everyone, DiBernardo says. “Lasers bring increased collagen andelastin to the party. If you are too old, cells don’t have the capacity to makecollagen and elastin.”

But there is a risk of burns. “You need to monitor the temperature,”DiBernardo says.

Peter B. Fodor, MD, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, is not convinced aboutthe benefits of laser lipo, and has seen his fair share of burns from laserliposuction procedures gone wrong. “It is tremendous hype and a lot of hype isfrom the companies,” he tells WebMD. “Don’t place commerce ahead ofscience.”

The results — and risks — are dependent on the doctor performing theprocedure, he says.

When you injure the skin with the laser, it contracts, Fodor says. “There isno question that if you hit it exactly right, you will cause the skin tocontract. A little injury is good, but too much and you get burned.”

Put another way: “There is a very small margin of error.”

Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, a professor and vice chairman of plastic surgery atthe University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the directorof the Clinical Center for Cosmetic Laser Treatment in Dallas, has reservationsabout the procedure.

“It liquefies fat and there is no data that I am aware of that shows itconsistently tightens skin,” he tells WebMD. “There is a fine line between skintightening and injury. I am not convinced that we are at a point where we cansafely and predictably offer laser lipo as an option.”

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Beautiful skin is a reflection of your inner health. Sign up today to receive WebMD’s Skin & Beauty newsletter and get the information you need to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

View Article Sources

Study Shows Technique Removes Fat and Helps Skin Tightening; Critics Worry About Burns

ByDenise Mann
WebMD Health News

Reviewed ByLaura J. Martin, MD

April 26, 2010 (Washington) — You’ve probably seen the billboards, not tomention the glossy magazine ads, touting the benefits of laser-assisted liposuction. But is it really that “smart or that “cool?”

The answer depends on whom you ask. Advocates say laser liposuction involvesless bruising and a quicker recovery time. And new research presented at theannual meeting of the American society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery inWashington, D.C., suggests laser liposuction also results in the much-covetedskin-tightening effect.

But others say laser liposuction merely adds to the cost of traditionalliposuction, not the results, and increases the risk of side effects, namely burns.

Laser liposuction uses lasers to liquefy the fat before it is removed,making it easier to vacuum out via liposuction. Lasers may also stimulate theproduction of collagen and elastin, which results in firmer, tighter, andsmoother skin. Lasers may also coagulate small blood vessels in the area, whichtranslates to less bruising.

In one study, patients had laser liposuction on one side of their abdomenand traditional liposuction on the other side. They had more elasticity on thelaser side at three months then on the side with traditional liposuction.

“Skin loses elasticity and gains laxity, so for areas with loose skin, laserlipo may be the way to go,” study researcher Barry DiBernardo, MD, tells WebMD.DiBernardo is a plastic surgeon in Montclair, N.J. and a consultant forCynosure, maker of Smartlipo Triplex, a laser energy device used for laserliposuction. “It’s not magic. It’s just another tool that can add skintightening to improve the overall result.”

Laser Lipo: Risk of Burns

It’s not for everyone, DiBernardo says. “Lasers bring increased collagen andelastin to the party. If you are too old, cells don’t have the capacity to makecollagen and elastin.”

But there is a risk of burns. “You need to monitor the temperature,”DiBernardo says.

Peter B. Fodor, MD, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, is not convinced aboutthe benefits of laser lipo, and has seen his fair share of burns from laserliposuction procedures gone wrong. “It is tremendous hype and a lot of hype isfrom the companies,” he tells WebMD. “Don’t place commerce ahead ofscience.”

The results — and risks — are dependent on the doctor performing theprocedure, he says.

When you injure the skin with the laser, it contracts, Fodor says. “There isno question that if you hit it exactly right, you will cause the skin tocontract. A little injury is good, but too much and you get burned.”

Put another way: “There is a very small margin of error.”

Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, a professor and vice chairman of plastic surgery atthe University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the directorof the Clinical Center for Cosmetic Laser Treatment in Dallas, has reservationsabout the procedure.

“It liquefies fat and there is no data that I am aware of that shows itconsistently tightens skin,” he tells WebMD. “There is a fine line between skintightening and injury. I am not convinced that we are at a point where we cansafely and predictably offer laser lipo as an option.”

SOURCES: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery annual meeting, Washington,D.C., April 23-27, 2010.

Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, professor and vice chairman, plastic surgery,University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; director, Clinical Center forCosmetic Laser Treatment, Dallas.

Peter B. Fodor, MD, plastic surgeon, Los Angeles.

Barry DiBernardo, MD, plastic surgeon, Montclair, N.J.; consultant,Cynosure.

©2010 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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April 26, 2010 (Washington) — You’ve probably seen the billboards, not tomention the glossy magazine ads, touting the benefits of laser-assistedliposuction. But is it really that “smart or that “cool?”

The answer depends on whom you ask. Advocates say laser liposuction involvesless bruising and a quicker recovery time. And new research presented at theannual meeting of the American society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery inWashington, D.C., suggests laser liposuction also results in the much-covetedskin-tightening effect.

But others say laser liposuction merely adds to the cost of traditionalliposuction, not the results, and increases the risk of side effects, namelyburns.

Laser liposuction uses lasers to liquefy the fat before it is removed,making it easier to vacuum out via liposuction. Lasers may also stimulate theproduction of collagen and elastin, which results in firmer, tighter, andsmoother skin. Lasers may also coagulate small blood vessels in the area, whichtranslates to less bruising.

In one study, patients had laser liposuction on one side of their abdomenand traditional liposuction on the other side. They had more elasticity on thelaser side at three months then on the side with traditional liposuction.

“Skin loses elasticity and gains laxity, so for areas with loose skin, laserlipo may be the way to go,” study researcher Barry DiBernardo, MD, tells WebMD.DiBernardo is a plastic surgeon in Montclair, N.J. and a consultant forCynosure, maker of Smartlipo Triplex, a laser energy device used for laserliposuction. “It’s not magic. It’s just another tool that can add skintightening to improve the overall result.”

Laser Lipo: Risk of Burns

It’s not for everyone, DiBernardo says. “Lasers bring increased collagen andelastin to the party. If you are too old, cells don’t have the capacity to makecollagen and elastin.”

But there is a risk of burns. “You need to monitor the temperature,”DiBernardo says.

Peter B. Fodor, MD, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, is not convinced aboutthe benefits of laser lipo, and has seen his fair share of burns from laserliposuction procedures gone wrong. “It is tremendous hype and a lot of hype isfrom the companies,” he tells WebMD. “Don’t place commerce ahead ofscience.”

The results — and risks — are dependent on the doctor performing theprocedure, he says.

When you injure the skin with the laser, it contracts, Fodor says. “There isno question that if you hit it exactly right, you will cause the skin tocontract. A little injury is good, but too much and you get burned.”

Put another way: “There is a very small margin of error.”

Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, a professor and vice chairman of plastic surgery atthe University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the directorof the Clinical Center for Cosmetic Laser Treatment in Dallas, has reservationsabout the procedure.

“It liquefies fat and there is no data that I am aware of that shows itconsistently tightens skin,” he tells WebMD. “There is a fine line between skintightening and injury. I am not convinced that we are at a point where we cansafely and predictably offer laser lipo as an option.”

skin & beauty newsletter

Beautiful skin is a reflection of your inner health. Sign up today to receive WebMD’s Skin & Beauty newsletter and get the information you need to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

View Article Sources

By Anastasia Stephens
Last updated at 12:10 AM on 6th June 2010

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They were something Phil Moutousamy tried to hide at all costs. By wearing loose and pat terned shirts, the 24-year-old design engineer from Bath managed to conceal his man boobs, or ‘moobs’, for years. Just as secretly, he saved up thousands of pounds to have them removed.

Phil first developed gynaecomastia aged 15 when he put on weight following his mother’s death. He subsequently lost weight, only to find the fat on his chest would not shift.

‘Having my man boobs removed is the best thing I’ve ever done,’ says Phil. ‘Hiding part of your body is a horrible thing to have to do and now that’s in the past. Now I can take my top off in a sauna or on the beach without worrying.’