TITLE:
Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells in breast reconstruction following surgery for cancer: A controversial issue
AUTHORS:
Maria Giovanna Scioli, Valerio Cervelli, Pietro Gentile, Alessandra Bielli, Roberto Bellini, Augusto Orlandi
KEYWORDS:
Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells; Breast Cancer; Breast Reconstruction; Fat Grafting
JOURNAL NAME:
Stem Cell Discovery,
Vol.3 No.3,
July
4,
2013
ABSTRACT: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.
Patients, in particular young women, after surgical removal of the tumor have a
poorer quality of life and psychological problems. Plastic surgery procedures
for breast reconstruction, including autologous fat grafting, concur to reduce cosmetic and psychological problems. The
maintenance of the transplanted fat is partially due to the presence of
resident adipose derived-stem cells (ASCs). The latter can be isolated by
digestion and centrifugation from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of subcutaneous
adipose tissue. Intraoperatory SVF/ASC enrichment has been proposed to stabilize
and optimalize autologous fat engraftment for breast reconstructive surgery
after mastectomy, but the safety of these procedures is still uncertain. Although
the literature offers contrasting opinions concerning the effects of ASCs on cancer
growth according to the tumor type, at the present time ASC implementation for
regenerative medicine therapies should be carefully considered in patients previously
treated for breast cancer. At the present, reconstructive therapy utilizing ASC-enriched fat grafting
should be postponed until there is no evidence of active disease.