Last month I post a story about converting fat cells to adult stem cells : ‘Liposuction Leftovers’ Easily Converted To Stem Cells. Well, doctors at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has done just that – replaced a 14-year-old boy’s missing cheekbones, partly by repurposing stem cells from his own body’s fatty tissue. (Other materials used include donated bone scaffolds, growth factors, and bone-coating tissue.)

The technique, if approved for widespread use, could benefit people who need more bone — everyone from cancer patients to injured war veterans. The group chose fat stem cells over those from bone marrow largely because of the ease of access.

One of the neat things about adipose-derived stem cells is they’re very easy to harvest. They also exist in just about the same proportion as bone marrow stem cells, which can be more difficult to obtain.

Source : Scientific American – Stem Cells from Fat Used to Grow Teen’s Missing Facial Bones