Choudhery MS, Arif T, Afzal A, Mahmood R. Therapeutic potential of adipose tissue in aesthetic medicine. World J Exp Med 2025; 15(3): 106641 [DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i3.106641]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Mahmood S Choudhery, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan. ms20031@yahoo.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Exp Med. Sep 20, 2025; 15(3): 106641 Published online Sep 20, 2025. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i3.106641
Therapeutic potential of adipose tissue in aesthetic medicine
Mahmood S Choudhery, Taqdees Arif, Aleeza Afzal, Ruhma Mahmood
Mahmood S Choudhery, Taqdees Arif, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Aleeza Afzal, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Ruhma Mahmood, Department of Paediatric Surgery, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Author contributions: Choudhery MS, Arif T, Afzal A and Mahmood R conceptualized and designed the contents of the manuscript, wrote the original version of manuscript, revised the manuscript; Choudhery MS and Arif T prepared, designed and modified the figures; All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mahmood S Choudhery, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan. ms20031@yahoo.com
Received: March 4, 2025 Revised: April 2, 2025 Accepted: May 10, 2025 Published online: September 20, 2025 Processing time: 162 Days and 2.1 Hours
Abstract
Aesthetic medicine is a branch of medicine dedicated to improve an individual’s appearance and overall visual appeal. Conventional aesthetic treatments have limitations, including the risk of complications, allergic reactions, and temporary benefits. Adipose tissue offers a promising alternative to conventional aesthetic treatments. The regenerative properties, accessibility and versatility of adipose tissue make it an attractive option for individuals seeking natural and long-lasting aesthetic results. Adipose tissue is rich source of adipose tissue derived stem cells (ASCs), growth factors and extracellular matrix. It can restore and rejuvenate the damaged and aged tissues. Adipose tissue can be used in different formats such as pure adipose tissue grafts, stromal vascular fraction, nanofat, macrofat, microfat and as a pure population of ASCs. In addition, ASC derived exosomes offer a unique cell-free therapy advantages bioactive molecules like growth factors, cytokines, and microRNAs to stimulate collagen production, improve skin texture, and address pigmentation issues. This review highlights the multifaceted potential of adipose tissue in aesthetic medicine. It discusses its diverse applications, the biological mechanisms involved, and emerging therapeutic approaches. Moreover, this review also highlights the challenges and future direction of using adipose tissue-based therapies for aesthetic treatments.
Core Tip: Aesthetic medicine has evolved with innovative solutions for improvement of overall appearance. Adipose tissue, with its regenerative properties, offers a promising alternative to traditional treatments. Adipose tissue derivatives such as nanofat, microfat, adipose tissue-derived stem cells, and stromal vascular fraction have shown therapeutic applications in aesthetic medicine. Studies demonstrate their effectiveness in treating acne scars, burn wounds, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and skin rejuvenation. However, limitations such as graft survival variability and regulatory challenges need to be addressed. Further research is necessary to fully harness the potential of adipose tissue in aesthetic medicine.
