Fat cells from the belly's lining can transform themselves into immune cells to build brand-new blood vessels.
Omental fat was once viewed as a simple energy warehouse or a surgical nuisance. These cells actually possess a hidden talent for changing their entire identity to repair damaged tissue. When skin is injured, these adipocytes shed their fat-storing role and reprogram themselves into pro-healing myeloid cells. This transition triggers the assembly of new blood vessel networks essential for skin graft survival. Understanding this shape-shifting ability could lead to better wound care techniques that use a patient's own fat as a living medicine.
Omental Adipocyte-to-Myeloid Reprogramming Drives Effective Skin Flap Regeneration
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Abstract The greater omentum possesses exceptional regenerative capacity, widely utilized for reconstructing complex tissue defects; yet, the cellular mechanisms underlying this efficacy remain obscure. Here, we show that omental adipocyte reprogramming is a pivotal mechanism driving angiogenesis and tissue repair, underscoring its indispensable role in orchestrating effective tissue regeneration. Integrating genetic lineage tracing with single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) identifies that