I'm not Fat, I Just Have an Overabundance of Stem Cells

The search for a source of versatile stem cells may have landed on your belly bulge. It turns out that the best source of adult stem cells may be in our fat deposits, which would be great news. It is far easier to get fat -- which people are happy to donate -- than bone marrow or other sources of cells. Also, if we get to the point where we can use our own adult stem cells to create tissues for ourselves when we need them, almost all of use have enough fat cells to donate. While fat stem cells are not a replacement for embryonic stem cells -- which are more versatile, live forever, and can be engineered for experimentation with a host of diseases -- it is an exciting development to know we have a virtually inexhaustible supply of adult stem cells in such an easily accessed, dispensable tissue.