Abstract
While the field of tissue engineering is a burgeoning one, progress with fat engineering has lagged, due in large part to problems associated with nurturing and sustaining this unique tissue in vivo. In a pilot study using an experimental rat model, we induced liponeogenesis with a combination of Matrigel and basic fibroblast growth factor in an fibrovascular scaffold, isolating the construct to a pedicled blood supply (the superficial inferior epigastric vessels) via a silicone housing, creating an engineered three-dimensional adipose tissue construct. Adipose tissue and vascular ingrowth were assessed histologically and followed by serial study at 4-week intervals for 16 weeks. We demonstrated persistence of shaped adipose tissue constructs over time, and postulate that incorporating a vascular supply may enhance the durability of experimentally induced fat constructs and potentially provide a means for microsurgical transfer of the construct.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 378-384 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Microsurgery |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2004 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery