Discovery of “Lipocartilage” Opens New Horizons in Regenerative Tissue Engineering

Published 2025-09-08

An international collaborative team led by the University of California, Irvine, has identified a previously unrecognized form of skeletal tissue—“lipocartilage”—characterized by its unique cellular architecture. Unlike conventional cartilage that relies on an external extracellular matrix for structural integrity, lipocartilage comprises fat-filled cells, termed "lipochondrocytes," which inherently provide soft yet highly resilient support—akin to the compressible bubbles found in packaging materials. This remarkable property is particularly suited for reconstructing flexible anatomical structures such as earlobes, nasal tips, and other facial features. The discovery promises to reduce reliance on invasive grafting procedures that often require harvesting autologous rib cartilage, potentially heralding a new class of biomaterials for reconstructive regenerative therapies