Natural Breast Implant Breakthrough
Natural Breast Implant Breakthrough
August 9, 2006 -
Researchers at the University of Illinois have made a scientific breakthrough using human stem cells to create natural breast implants.
Dr. Jeremy Mao and his team of scientists took bone marrow stem cells from healthy volunteers and placed them onto a gel-like scaffold, which can be molded into any shape. The scaffolds were implanted into mice where the stem cells eventually grew into fat cells.
The findings, which will be published in the journal Tissue Engineering, showed that the implant was able to retain its size and shape. The researchers also found that with this type of implant, there is no risk of leakage or rupture.
Natural Implant Alternatives
Previous research has examined the possibility of combining stem cells with a woman’s own fat cells to create a natural implant. However, this would require an additional invasive procedure to harvest the large quantity of fat tissue necessary for the implant.
Also, the implants would most likely decrease in volume over time - losing as much as 60 percent of their volume.
The Future of Natural Breast Implants
Dr. Mao said that even though more research needs to be conducted, the new technique has the potential to transform breast augmentation surgery as well as other plastic surgery procedures.
“Patients will have a choice - stem cell grown structures or an artificial implant,” he said.
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