Enrichment of Fat Graft with Association of ASC and Nanofat in an Animal Model

Introduction

Fat graft (FG) absorption rate varies from 20 to 80% in two years. Recently, several bioengineering techniques were applied to improve FG retention rate. Numerous studies investigated the use of adipocyte-derived stem cells (ASC) as FG enrichment. However, ASC production is costly, complex, and time-consuming. In contrast, Nanofat, a combination of lipids, stem cells and growth factors, offers a faster, simpler, and more cost-effective alternative for FG enrichment.

Objective

This study aims to compare the effects of ASC with those of Nanofat, as a viable option in FG enrichment.

Material and Methods

Animals were allocated in three groups: Control group (1 mL fat), ASC group (1 mL fat +1x10⁶ ASC), and NnF group (1 mL of fat + 0.3mL NnF). These groups were subdivided in three subgroups (4, 8, and 12 weeks, n = 6/group). We performed ultrasound and macroscopic measurements for FG volume, histology and expression of healing and inflammation genes.

Results

At week 12, ASC and NnF groups showed a higher retention of FG when compared to the Control group (51%, 46%, 12% respectively, p < 0.01). Fibrosis was similar in ASC and Nanofat groups. The Nanofat group showed a higher vascular density then the Control group (p < 0.05). Il-10 gene expression was higher, and Mmp9 was lower in the Nanofat group when compared to the ASC and Control groups.

Conclusion

This study indicates that enriching FG with both ASC and Nanofat led to an increased retention rate of the FG, suggesting that Nanofat might be a promising alternative for FG enrichment.

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