The Future of Wound Healing: Treating Chronic Non-Healing Wounds Leveraging the Patient’s own Adipose Tissue.

Introduction: Non-healing wounds pose a significant burden on the healthcare system and the patients as they increase the risk of complications, such as infection, amputation, or even death. Non-healing wounds can impair the quality of life and psychological well-being of the patients due to pain, discomfort, reduced mobility, and social isolation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new and effective strategies to treat non-healing wounds and enhance wound healing. One of the many promising approaches to address this challenge is to use 3D-printed adipose tissue matrix grafts from the patient’s own adipose tissue. Herein, we demonstrate the use of a commercially available, FDA cleared adipose tissue bioprinter to treat a chronic wound with bone exposure.Methods:We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of 3D-printed adipose tissue matrix grafts for wound healing. One of the participants was a 20-25 year-old male who suffered from a chronic wound on his left leg due to a motor vehicle accident. The wound was a       2.7 X 1 X 0.6 cm defect, with exposed bone and had not healed after 20-24 months of conventional and advanced wound treatments that included skin substitutes and multiple flaps. He agreed to receive a 3D-printed adipose tissue matrix graft. This was prepared by isolating his own adipose tissue by manual liposuction from the abdomen region and printing a biodegradable scaffold using an FDA approved 3D bioprinter system. A single application of the graft was implanted into his wound and covered with a non-adherent dressing. The patient was followed up weekly for four weeks and then biweekly for six months.Results:The results show that the wound size reduced markedly over the first 4-week period time of 2.5x0.5x0.4 cm and is progressing to closure. The patient reported improved pain and comfort levels, and no adverse reactions or complications were observed. The 3D-printed adipose tissue matrix graft was successful in promoting wound healing, granulation tissue formation and restoring tissue function.Discussion: This novel technique uses patients' own adipose tissue to treat complex wounds that resist conventional methods. Adipose tissue has abundant stem cells that can differentiate and secrete growth factors for wound healing (Chu et al.). The adipose 3D printer showed success where other treatments failed. More trials are required to verify its safety, efficacy, and long-term results. This technique has significant implications for wound care and patient quality of life and deserves more use and research.References: Chu DT, Nguyen Thi Phuong T, Tien NLB, Tran DK, Minh LB, Thanh VV, Gia Anh P, Pham VH, Thi Nga V. Adipose Tissue Stem Cells for Therapy: An Update on the Progress of Isolation, Culture, Storage, and Clinical Application. J Clin Med. 2019 Jun 26;8(7):917. doi: 10.3390/jcm8070917. PMID: 31247996; PMCID: PMC6678927.