Journal article

Fat Therapeutics: The Clinical Capacity of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Exosomes for Human Disease and Tissue Regeneration

L Shukla, Y Yuan, R Shayan, DW Greening, T Karnezis

Frontiers in Pharmacology | FRONTIERS MEDIA SA | Published : 2020

Abstract

Fat grafting is a well-established surgical technique used in plastic surgery to restore deficient tissue, and more recently, for its putative regenerative properties. Despite more frequent use of fat grafting, however, a scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying either survival or remedial benefits of grafted fat remain lacking. Clinical use of fat grafts for breast reconstruction in tissues damaged by radiotherapy first provided clues regarding the clinical potential of stem cells to drive tissue regeneration. Healthy fat introduced into irradiated tissues appeared to reverse radiation injury (fibrosis, scarring, contracture and pain) clinically; a phenomenon since validated in..

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Funding Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Janna Taylor for her expertise and professionalism in assistance with formatting and figure and table preparations. TK, RS, LS, and YY also thank the Wicking Trust, Stafford Fox Trust and McMullin Family Trust for their ongoing financial support of their work. This work was funded, in part, by the National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia (project grant 1057741 and 1139489 to DG) and Helen Amelia Hanis Fellowship (to DG).