BIOBANK – Turning Britain’s fat into stem cells

Future Health BIOBANK based in Nottingham is Europe’s first accredited private family bank for the storage of blood and tissue. A new development means that lipo stem cells, normally disposed of after liposuction can now be stored in cryogenic conditions at BIOBANK.

The proposal as part of the Lipo Stem Cell Service is for plastic surgeons to place a small quantity of the fat in a special container to which a blood sample and simple health questionnaire will be added. This will contribute both to research as well as to donations for use in regenerative medicine or cosmetic reconstruction.

Whilst the concentration of stem cells in fatty adipose tissue is 500 times greater than bone marrow, until recently it was unknown how to separate these cells. The opening of BIOBANK on 29th September 2011 is a huge step forward in stem cell research and treatment.
 

A fluid that transports oxygen and other substances through the body, made up of blood cells suspended in a liquid. Full medical glossary
Tissue within the bones where blood cells are formed. Full medical glossary
The basic unit of all living organisms. Full medical glossary
One of the three main food constituents (with carbohydrate and protein), and the main form in which energy is stored in the body. Full medical glossary
The basic unit of genetic material carried on chromosomes. Full medical glossary
Cells with the ability to specialise into various forms. Full medical glossary
A group of cells with a similar structure and a specialised function. Full medical glossary