title: Creation of a Large Adipose Tissue Construct in Humans Using a Tissue-engineering Chamber: A Step Forward in the Clinical Application of Soft Tissue Engineering.
abstract: Tissue engineering is currently exploring new and exciting avenues for the repair of soft tissue and organ defects. Adipose tissue engineering using the tissue engineering chamber (TEC) model has yielded promising results in animals; however, to date, there have been no reports on the use of this device in humans. Five female post mastectomy patients ranging from 35 to 49years old were recruited and a pedicled thoracodorsal artery perforator fat flap ranging from 6 to 50ml was harvested, transposed onto the chest wall and covered by an acrylic perforated dome-shaped chamber ranging from 140 to 350cm(3). Magnetic resonance evaluation was performed at three and six months after chamber implantation. Chambers were removed at six months and samples were obtained for histological analysis. In one patient, newly formed tissue to a volume of 210ml was generated inside the chamber. One patient was unable to complete the trial and the other three failed to develop significant enlargement of the original fat flap, which, at the time of chamber explantation, was encased in a thick fibrous capsule. Our study provides evidence that generation of large well-vascularized tissue engineered constructs using the TEC is feasible in humans.
authors.affiliation: O'Brien Institute of Regenerative Surgery, St. Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australia; Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: wayne.morrison@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Wayne A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: O'Brien Institute of Regenerative Surgery, St. Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marre
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australia; Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grinsell
authors.affiliation: Anatomics, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trost
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrea J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000328:Adult; D015194:Diffusion Chambers, Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
keywords: Adipose; Adipose-derived stem cells; Chamber; Inflammation; Soft tissue reconstruction; Tissue engineering