title: Coverage of skin defects without skin grafts using adipose-derived stem cells.
abstract: A satisfying result is difficult to achieve in the repair of a full-thickness skin defect in the facial area, including the subunits of the nose. A full-thickness skin graft, nasolabial flap, or forehead flap as a major treatment still is used despite its relative potential for secondary contracture, unmatched skin color, hypertrophic scars, and donor-site morbidity. Another option, with good wound-healing power and soft tissue regeneration without skin grafts would be helpful for initiating treatment. Adult stem cells are a useful material in tissue engineering. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), an abundant population of pluripotent cells found in the stroma of adipose tissues, have been shown to differentiate in vitro into various cell lineages. As a robust source of bioactive growth factors, ADSCs contribute to recovery from ischemic damage, and they can promote the wound-healing process as well as soft tissue regeneration. The authors have experienced several cases of facial skin defect repair using ADSCs without skin grafts. In these cases, they observed rapid coverage of the wound with the patient's own regenerated tissue. During the treatment period, ADSC treatment showed an excellent wound-healing process in terms of quantity and quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Gyohyeon 2-dong, Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do, 380-704, Republic of Korea, dijo@medigate.net.
authors.forename: Dong In
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Hyun Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Soon Heum
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Gon
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dong Hyeok
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ki Il
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Uhm
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult