Micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) is regarded as one of the simplest and most practical biological preparations for clinical applications in tissue regenerative medicine. The clinical effectiveness of MFAT is attributed to its content of cells and growth factors that facilitate tissue regeneration. In this study, we investigated the biological activity of the secretome derived from cultured MFAT. Our primary focus was on its ability to influence the production of two inflammatory cytokines, RANTES (Regulated and Normal T Cell Expressed and Secreted) and MCP-1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1), using ELISA assays, as well as its impact on the expression of Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAMs) on U-937 macrophages via flow cytometry. We also explored the potential of the MFAT secretome to affect the proliferation of both normal and cancer cells. Our results showed that the MFAT secretome inhibited the production of MCP-1 and RANTES, significantly reduced the expression of ICAM-1 (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1) on U-937 macrophages, and had no impact on the proliferation of normal or cancer cells. These findings suggest that the MFAT secretome is relatively safe and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, supporting the idea that its clinical effectiveness in treating joint inflammation may, in part, be due to its paracrine effects.
Coccè et al. (2026) studied this question.