New Frontiers in modeling the lipedema microenvironment in vitro

Lipedema is a chronic and often debilitating adipose tissue disorder that primarily affects women. The disease is characterized by disproportionate and symmetrical accumulation of subcutaneous fat in the extremities. Despite the high prevalence of lipedema, which affects ∼10% of women, and its significant impact on patient quality of life, lipedema is understudied and often misdiagnosed as other disorders (obesity or lymphedema). In this review, we explore the current understanding of lipedema through clinical, tissue, and cellular lenses, and examine suspected pathological mechanisms, including hormonal influences (such as estrogen), adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia, increased extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrosis, and specialized immune cell involvement, including M2 macrophage infiltration. Recent advancements in adipose tissue engineering, including organoids, fat-on-a-chip platforms, and the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are explored as platforms to study lipedema pathogenesis.