What are Adipose dervied stem cells?
Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC's) are present in high concentration in normal fatty tissue. They are capable of turning into a wide variety of cells under different conditions, such as muscle, fat, nerve, bone, cartilage, or other tissue. The concentration of stem cells in fat is 500,000 times higher than that in bone marrow. As we age, our stem cells age with us and lose some of the vitality and capacity for regenerating new tissue. This is part of the normal process of aging. When we harvest and save stem cells for later use, they are preserved at their current regenerative potency.
Potential Uses of Cryopreserved fat and fat stem cells
During liposuction, large amounts of fat are obtained and usually discarded. Occasionally, the fat is re-injected during the same procedure into other body areas, such as the buttocks. However, what if some or all of the fat were to be preserved for potential later use, such as cosmetic (fat transfer) or regenerative medicine? This idea is similar to banking umbilical cord blood right after delivery.
Regenerative Medicine Applications (examples)
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Cosmetic Medicine Applications
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Cryo-Lip for FDA-Approved CryopreservatioN
Dr. Kaplan and Celebrity Laser Spa have partnered with Cryo-Lip, to provide a safe and proven way to preserve fat and stem cells for later use. Cryo-lip operates tissue banks, which are based in the US. The received fat is processed, tested for viability and microbes and preserved in a way that maintains 80-90% of the viability of the adipose-derived stem cells (ASC's). Below are the key aspects of the program:
- Prior to the procedure, the patient fills out consent forms and a service contract with Cryo-Lip
- During the procedure, as little as 50 cc of fat are harvested and shipped overnight to the Cryo-Lip facility in a special specimen collection kit provided by Cryo-Lip
- In addition to the initial processing fee, an annual maintenance fee of $200 (starting in the second year) is paid directly to Cryo-Lip by the patient
- When fat or stem cells are needed at a future date, they can be shipped directly to the physician designated by the patient
If you are interested in Cryo-Lip as part of your liposuction procedure, or as a standalone harvesting of a small amount of fat for the purpose of preserving stem cells for future use, please contact us to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Alex Kaplan.
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