Study: Fat May Be Stem Cells Source

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A team of scientists says it has grown everything from human muscle to bone from stem cells taken from fat - a breakthrough that could eliminate the controversial use of fetal cells in the quest to mend damaged, missing or dead tissue.

Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Pittsburgh isolated the stem cells - immature cells that can be coaxed into maturing into specific types of tissue - from ordinary fat removed by liposuction. They then grew the cells into bone, cartilage, muscle and fat. Stem cells have been taken previously from bone marrow, brain tissue and aborted fetuses and frozen embryos - a practice opposed by many anti-abortion groups. The use of fat as a source could end such controversy.

The study was published Monday in the journal Tissue Engineering. Researchers predict the first practical use of laboratory-engineered tissue could come within five years. Eventually, scientists hope to use a patient's own fat to supply the tissue required to treat disease or repair injuries.

``We hope one day to be able to remove diseased tissue or organs, harvest stem cells and replace the lost tissues on the same day during the same operation,'' said Dr. Marc Hedrick of UCLA. ``There is potential for regenerating a lot of different tissues, perhaps some day solid organs, glands, nerves or brain tissue.''

Dr. J. William Futrell, a plastic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the research team, said it is too soon to say how the quality of stem cells from fat will compare to those from embryonic cells. However, the fact that fat cells are so abundant could make them a ready source of material for a biotech industry interested in engineering new human tissues.

``Fat is something that is universal,'' Futrell said.

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