Many reconstructive craniofacial challenges are characterized by a lack of soft tissue 'fill' and/or symmetry. Specific examples include congenital malformations (e.g., hemifacial microsomia and Romberg's progressive facial hemiatrophy), traumatic defects (e.g. avulsions, complex wounds) and cancer-related defects (e.g. mastectomy, parotidectomy). There are currently many approaches to soft tissue reconstruction, enhancement, and augmentation; but none is ideal. For this program, the Luna Innovations team proposes to develop an innovative approach to effective and reproducible autologous free fat transplantation for use in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects and contour irregularities associated with craniofacial surgery. The proposed approach is based upon preliminary work that has shown that 1) viable mature adipocytes can be isolated from human adipose tissue, 2) these cells can de-differentiate (delipidate) into fibroblast-like cells that morphologically resemble preadipocytes, and 3) the de-differentiated cells can be culture-expanded and 're-differentiated' into lipid-synthesizing and storing adipocytes. This work, along with a previously published study that describes positive results of free fat engraftment in rats using adipose tissue that was delipidated with mechanical force, provides the support for this application. Ultimately, we envision a clinical system (device and method) for autologous fat transplantation that will produce more effective, more predictable and more reproducible soft tissue reconstruction. ? ? ?
