Lipedema as a disorder of adipose tissue heterogeneity: insights from single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.
Reid I., Ali SH., Shayan R., Karnezis T.
Narrative Review, published in Front Cell Dev Biol (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- Front Cell Dev Biol (2026)
- Country
- Switzerland
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- PubMed
- PMID
- 42388970
- DOI
- 10.3389/fcell.2026.1809914
Abstract (original English)
Lipedema is a chronic adipose tissue disorder characterised by disproportionate accumulation of subcutaneous fat within specific anatomical depots, most commonly the lower extremities, with relative sparing of the trunk. Despite increasing clinical recognition, the mechanisms underlying the selective vulnerability of particular adipose depots and the progressive tissue remodelling observed in lipedema remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that lipedema is associated with complex alterations in adipocyte biology, adipose stem and progenitor cell (ASPC) function, immune signalling, vascular integrity, extracellular matrix remodelling, and lymphatic homeostasis, indicating that the disease extends beyond simple fat accumulation. Recent advances in adipose tissue biology have demonstrated that adipose depots are not functionally uniform structures, but rather anatomically distinct cellular ecosystems with unique developmental origins, transcriptional programs, stromal composition, immune niches, and metabolic properties. These depot-specific characteristics may provide an important framework for understanding the regional distribution and progression of lipedema. However, while substantial progress has been made in defining differences between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, heterogeneity between individual subcutaneous depots remains comparatively underexp
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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