Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
also draw attention to the fact that as the procedure is highly
experimental, it is not possible to claim any expenses under any
existing public or private health insurance schemes and that some
people may not be suitable candidates for the treatment.
This second trial seems in some respects to be quite similar to the
Regeneus treatment, with the only real difference between the two
being the processing technique adopted. What would be interesting
to establish overall is whether one technique is more successful than
another, but this data will not be available for some time. If the
outcomes of either of these treatments are as good as the original
animal studies for the Regeneus technique demonstrate, there will
presumably be a high number of patients willing to undergo this
treatment. Affordability, access to treatment locations and potential
cover by health insurance companies are going to be key issues for
the ongoing commercial success of either treatment.
4.2.3 Example3:breastenhancementwithstemcells
The third example of clinical applications of adult stem cell tissues
also relies on adipose-derived stem cells. Fat stem cells are increasingly
being used for cosmetic procedures ranging from breast enhancement,
face plumping and something known as the Brazilian butt-lift
(Harvey, 2011). The use of fat stem cells for breast enhancement in
particular has been developing for a number of years and is now
thought to be in routine use in some places (cf. Coleman and
Saboeiro, 2007). A recent clinical trial conducted in Europe and the
US and sponsored by US-based Cytori Therapeutics (
http://www.
cytori.com
) has tested the effectiveness of fat stem cell breast
enhancement as an effective reconstructive technique for individuals
recovering from breast cancer. The potential applications of fat stem
cells in reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery could prove to be
quite lucrative for individual clinics given the increasing rates of
cosmetic surgery worldwide.
The use of fat in reconstructive surgery has a long history, with
early experiments dating back to the nineteenth century (Billings and
May, 1989). As still holds true today, the widespread availability of
