Enrichment of Fat Graft with Association of ASC and Nanofat in an Animal Model

Introduction: Fat graft (FG) absorption rate varies from 20 to 80% in two years. Recently, several bioengineering techniques were applied to improve FG retention rate. Numerous studies investigated the use of adipocyte-derived stem cells (ASC) as FG enrichment. However, ASC production is costly, complex, and time-consuming. In contrast, Nanofat, a combination of lipids, stem cells and growth factors, offers a faster, simpler, and more cost-effective alternative for FG enrichment.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effects of ASC with those of Nanofat, as a viable option in FG enrichment.

Material and methods: Animals were allocated in three groups: Control group (1 mL fat), ASC group (1 mL fat +1x10⁶ ASC), and NnF group (1 mL of fat + 0.3mL NnF). These groups were subdivided in three subgroups (4, 8, and 12 weeks, n = 6/group). We performed ultrasound and macroscopic measurements for FG volume, histology and expression of healing and inflammation genes.

Results: At week 12, ASC and NnF groups showed a higher retention of FG when compared to the Control group (51%, 46%, 12% respectively, p < 0.01). Fibrosis was similar in ASC and Nanofat groups. The Nanofat group showed a higher vascular density then the Control group (p < 0.05). Il-10 gene expression was higher, and Mmp9 was lower in the Nanofat group when compared to the ASC and Control groups.

Conclusion: This study indicates that enriching FG with both ASC and Nanofat led to an increased retention rate of the FG, suggesting that Nanofat might be a promising alternative for FG enrichment.

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