Chirurgia plastica e cellule staminali: il tessuto adiposo come risorsa per la medicina rigenerativa

Current developments in medicine have come to identify strategies that allow the regeneration of tissues affected by pathological phenomena. In this context we find the research on stem cells, which are equipped with the capacity to continue over time and, similarly, to give rise at least to an offspring of completely differentiated and highly specialized cells. In support of the latest advances in regenerative medicine, plastic surgery is playing an ever increasing role. Through the procedures of liposuction, the plastic surgeon provides biologist and clinician with a considerable amount of fat tissue, which is proving an extraordinary source of stem cells, useful both for plastic surgery and other fields of medicine. Adipose-derived stem cells have shown a very considerable differentiation potential. Furthermore, their easiness of taking and their abundance in the human body, makes them a potential tool with extraordinary effectiveness in tissue repairing. We already have experiences documenting that these cells have been successfully used in otorhinolaryngology, for the reconstruction of the vocal cords, in orthopedic surgery for bone defects filling, in neurosurgery, for the repair of cerebrospinal fluid loss, in colo-rectal surgery, which used the graft of adipose tissue for the treatment of sphincterial incompetence. In plastic surgery the most significant results were achieved in the treatment of radiodermatitis lesions, ulcers and for the breast reconstruction and augmentation. The purpose of this review is to examine the literature about the usefulness of adipose tissue as a source of stem cells and evaluate the studies which have already tried their use in regenerative medicine, with particular reference to plastic surgery.