Stemcell Therapy Technology News

Japanese researchers have used fat-derived stem cells to reconstruct breasts marred by cancer surgery.

The findings, presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, have not yet been peer-reviewed and should be considered preliminary. However, if the procedure proves safe and effective, it could help breast cancer victims and perhaps replace unreliable implants for women seeking cosmetic enhancement.

Kyushu Central Hospital doctor Keizo Sugimachi used liposuction to take fat from the thighs, lower back and hips of 19 breast cancer survivors from whom doctors had removed tumors and parts of their breasts. Some of the fat was processed with a system developed by Cytori Therapeutics, a San Diego-based regenerative medicine company who sponsored Sugimachi's study.

Cytori's processing system pulled stem cells capable of becoming new breast tissue from the fat; these were combined with the rest of the fat, then injected into the womens' breasts. The treated tissues soon swelled from an average thickness of 6 millimeters to 16 millimeters, shrinking by a couple millimeters over the next six months but remaining thicker than before the procedure.

Current breast enhancement procedures rely purely on fat grafts, which are prone to instability, scarring and collapse, or on implants filled with saline or silicone, which can break or cause disfigurement. Apart from a temporary hardening of the injection site, no side effects were reported in Sugimachi's study. Fifteen of the 19 women were reportedly satisfied with the results.

Cytori will conduct two clinical trials of the procedure in Europe in 2008. As mentioned before, it's too early to get excited, but it's worth mentioning that the latest results expand on earlier promise covered by Wired's now-defunct Bodyhack blog.

The study's location in Japan, birthplace of some of the strangest bodily conceptions (NSFW) yet produced by modern imaginations, also makes me wonder what a world of stem cell-based cosmetic procedures might look like. It's a somewhat disturbing thought, but to each his -- or her -- own.

Articel From:http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/12/better-breasts.html