{"id":11,"slug":"adipose-tissue","name":"Adipose Tissue","alternate_names":["body fat","fat tissue","지방조직"],"aliases":[],"locale":"en","available_locales":["en"],"localized":false,"type":"medical","description":"Adipose tissue is body fat: a connective tissue made mostly of fat cells (adipocytes) together with blood vessels, immune cells and stromal cells.","overview":"Adipose tissue (body fat) is a connective tissue made of lipid-filled adipocytes and a stromal vascular fraction that contains preadipocytes, endothelial, stromal and immune cells. White fat stores energy as triacylglycerol in subcutaneous and visceral depots. Brown fat produces heat through uncoupling protein 1, and beige adipocytes share traits of both. Adipose tissue is also an endocrine organ that secretes adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin, and its dysfunction is linked to obesity-related metabolic disease. Lipoaspirate is used for autologous fat grafting and as a source of cells. In the US, SVF isolated by enzymatic digestion is generally treated as more than minimally manipulated and is subject to FDA review. In Korea, stem cells expanded by culture are regulated as drugs. Readers should check the approval status of any adipose-derived cell therapy.","official_url":null,"image_url":null,"country":null,"region":null,"wikidata_id":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"verified":false,"scores":{"authority":62,"trust":0,"citation":0},"topic":{"slug":"svf","name":"SVF & Adipose-derived Cells"},"url":"https://worldwiki.io/entity/adipose-tissue","facts":[{"id":173,"predicate":"definition","label":"Definition","value":"A metabolic and endocrine tissue made of mature adipocytes, which store energy as triacylglycerols in a large central lipid droplet, plus a stromal vascular fraction","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-04-04","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[240]},{"id":174,"predicate":"tissue_types","label":"Types of adipose tissue","value":"White (energy storage), brown (non-shivering thermogenesis), beige (mixed brown/white traits); pink adipocytes are described in the mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-04-04","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[240]},{"id":175,"predicate":"main_depots","label":"Main depots","value":"Subcutaneous and visceral (e.g., mesenteric, retroperitoneal, gonadal in rodents)","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-04-04","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[240]},{"id":176,"predicate":"endocrine_products","label":"Key secreted hormones (adipokines)","value":"Leptin, adiponectin, resistin; circulating adiponectin is about 2–20 µg/mL","unit":"µg/mL","confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-04-04","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[240]},{"id":177,"predicate":"leptin_discovered_year","label":"Leptin (ob gene) cloned","value":"1994, reported in Nature by Zhang, Proenca, Maffei et al. in Jeffrey Friedman's laboratory","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[121]},{"id":178,"predicate":"thermogenesis_mechanism","label":"Brown fat heat production","value":"Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) uncouples mitochondrial respiration from ATP synthesis and releases the energy as heat","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[241]},{"id":179,"predicate":"brown_fat_in_adults_identified_year","label":"Active brown fat shown in adult humans","value":"2009, by FDG-PET/CT imaging","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[241]},{"id":180,"predicate":"svf_composition","label":"Stromal vascular fraction composition","value":"Mixed population of preadipocytes, fibroblasts, pericytes, macrophages, blood cells, endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stromal cells","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[133]},{"id":23,"predicate":"main_cell","label":"Main cell type","value":"Adipocytes (fat cells) plus vascular, immune and stromal cells","unit":null,"confidence":100,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-15 01:35:59","source_ids":[20]},{"id":181,"predicate":"regulatory_status_us","label":"US regulatory status of enzymatic SVF","value":"SVF isolated by collagenase digestion falls outside FDA 'minimal manipulation' criteria and generally requires controlled clinical trials and regulatory review","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[133]},{"id":24,"predicate":"harvest","label":"Harvest method for cell isolation","value":"Liposuction","unit":null,"confidence":100,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-15 01:35:59","source_ids":[17]},{"id":182,"predicate":"governing_guidance_us","label":"Governing FDA guidance","value":"'Regulatory Considerations for HCT/Ps: Minimal Manipulation and Homologous Use' (21 CFR 1271.10(a)); July 2020 version, superseding the Nov/Dec 2017 guidance","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-07-01","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[242]},{"id":183,"predicate":"regulatory_status_kr","label":"Korean regulatory status","value":"Culture-expanded stem cell products are drugs under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Uncultured autologous cells that are only separated, washed, frozen or thawed are not considered unlawful. The Advanced Regenerative Bio Act took effect in August 2020","unit":null,"confidence":80,"valid_from":"2020-06-22","valid_until":null,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 06:49:56","source_ids":[243]}],"relations":[{"type":"related_to","confidence":100,"target":{"id":12,"slug":"adipose-derived-stem-cell","name":"Adipose-derived Stem Cell","type":"medical","description":"Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) are mesenchymal stem/stromal cells isolated from fat tissue and expanded in culture; they are studied for tissue repair and are a component of the stromal vascular fraction.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/entity/adipose-derived-stem-cell"}}],"questions":[{"slug":"what-is-adipose-tissue","question":"What is adipose tissue?","intent":"informational","language":"en","short_answer":"Adipose tissue is body fat: a connective tissue made mostly of fat cells (adipocytes) with blood vessels, immune cells and stromal cells. It stores energy and produces hormones. Because it is abundant and can be removed by liposuction, it is a common source of cells for research and for procedures such as fat grafting and SVF isolation.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-adipose-tissue"},{"slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-white-fat-and-brown-fat","question":"What is the difference between white fat and brown fat?","intent":"informational","language":"en","short_answer":"White fat cells hold one large lipid droplet, which fills about 90% of the cell, and mainly store energy as triglycerides. Brown fat cells hold many small droplets and many mitochondria. They use uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) to burn energy as heat without shivering. In adults, brown fat is found mainly in the neck, above the collarbones, along the spine and in the centre of the chest. White fat is found under the skin and around the organs.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-white-fat-and-brown-fat"},{"slug":"why-is-visceral-fat-more-dangerous-than-subcutaneous-fat","question":"Why is visceral fat more dangerous than subcutaneous fat?","intent":"informational","language":"en","short_answer":"Visceral fat lies deep in the abdomen and wraps around internal organs. Excess visceral fat is linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis more closely than fat under the skin. One clinical source estimates it normally makes up about 10% of total body fat. A waist of 35 inches or more in women, or 40 inches or more in men, is commonly used as a sign of higher risk.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/why-is-visceral-fat-more-dangerous-than-subcutaneous-fat"},{"slug":"do-fat-cells-disappear-when-you-lose-weight","question":"Do fat cells disappear when you lose weight?","intent":"informational","language":"en","short_answer":"Mostly not. A 2008 Nature study that dated fat cells with carbon-14 found that the number of fat cells stays roughly stable in adulthood, with no significant rise between ages 20 and 70. Weight change mainly reflects fat cells getting bigger or smaller. Individual fat cells are still replaced over time, at an estimated rate of about 8.4% per year, so roughly half are renewed every 8.3 years.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/do-fat-cells-disappear-when-you-lose-weight"},{"slug":"why-is-fat-tissue-used-as-a-source-of-stem-cells","question":"Why is fat tissue used as a source of stem cells?","intent":"informational","language":"en","short_answer":"Fat is plentiful and easy to collect by liposuction. A single procedure can produce from 100 ml to more than 3 litres of lipoaspirate. Breaking down this tissue releases the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells in which stem cells make up only about 2–10%. In the United States, the FDA lists fat-derived SVF among regenerative products marketed without approval, and it has received reports of serious harms linked to unapproved products.","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/why-is-fat-tissue-used-as-a-source-of-stem-cells"}],"sources":[{"id":20,"title":"Safety profile of autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction in clinical use: an exhaustive literature review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41618435/","publisher":"Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2026)","type":"academic","publication_date":"2026-01-01","accessed_at":"2026-11-11 18:00:11"},{"id":17,"title":"Liposuction","url":"https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/liposuction","publisher":"American Society of Plastic Surgeons","type":"organization","publication_date":null,"accessed_at":"2026-11-11 18:00:20"},{"id":240,"title":"Adipose Tissue: Physiology to Metabolic Dysfunction (Endotext)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555602/","publisher":"NCBI Bookshelf / MDText.com (Richard AJ, White U, Elks CM, Stephens JM)","type":"journal","publication_date":"2020-04-04","accessed_at":"2026-11-10 18:01:04"},{"id":121,"title":"Leptin 30 years – A chat with Jeffrey M. Friedman","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11967189/","publisher":"Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism, via PubMed Central","type":"journal","publication_date":"2025-03-24","accessed_at":"2026-11-09 18:00:56"},{"id":241,"title":"Brown adipose tissue activity as a target for the treatment of obesity/insulin resistance","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4311629/","publisher":"Frontiers in Physiology (Poher et al., via PubMed Central)","type":"journal","publication_date":null,"accessed_at":"2026-11-10 18:01:25"},{"id":133,"title":"Intraoperative Strategies for Minimal Manipulation of Autologous Adipose Tissue for Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapies: Concise Review (Trivisonno A et al.)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6877766/","publisher":"Stem Cells Translational Medicine / PubMed Central","type":"journal","publication_date":null,"accessed_at":"2026-11-09 18:01:04"},{"id":242,"title":"Regulatory Considerations for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products: Minimal Manipulation and Homologous Use","url":"https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/regulatory-considerations-human-cells-tissues-and-cellular-and-tissue-based-products-minimal","publisher":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration","type":"government","publication_date":null,"accessed_at":"2026-11-09 18:00:29"},{"id":243,"title":"불가능했던 줄기세포 배양시술 첨바법으로 열리나? (Will the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act open the way for cultured stem cell procedures?)","url":"https://www.medicaltimes.com/Users/News/NewsView.html?ID=1134320","publisher":"Medical Times (column by attorney Oh Seung-jun, LK Partners)","type":"news","publication_date":"2020-06-22","accessed_at":"2026-11-10 18:01:26"}],"providers":[],"published_at":"2026-09-14 13:42:07","updated_at":"2026-11-12 05:20:00","verified_at":null}