Macroporous gelatine spheres as culture substrate, transplantation vehicle, and biodegradable scaffold for guided regeneration of soft tissues. In vivo study in nude mice

In the course of development of a new type of filter for the correction of small defects in soft tissues we studied macroporous gelatine spheres as culture substrate, transplantation vehicle, and biodegradable scaffold for guided regeneration of soft tissues in vivo. We injected intradermally in nude mice gelatine spheres that had either been preseeded with human fibroblasts or preadipocytes, or left unseeded. We compared the extent of regenerated tissue with that found after injections of saline or single-cell suspensions of human fibroblasts or preadipocytes. Routine histological examinations and immunohistochemical staining for von Willebrand factor (indicating neoangiogenesis) were made after 7, 21, and 56 days. Injected saline or single-cell suspensions had no effect. However, a quick and thorough tissue regeneration with developing neoangiogenesis was elicited by the gelatine spheres and the effect of spheres preseeded with preadipocytes surpassed the effect of spheres preseeded with- fibroblasts, which in turn surpassed the effect of unseeded gelatine spheres. We suggest that minor soft tissue defects such as wrinkles or creases can be corrected by injection of naked macroporous gelatine spheres, whereas larger defects are best corrected by injection of macroporous gelatine spheres preseeded with fibroblasts, or preadipocytes, or both. (C) 2006 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.