In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Alar-Nasal Cartilage Using Autologous Micro-Grafts: The Use of the Rigenera® Protocol in the Treatment of an Osteochondral Lesion of the Nose

Abstract

Cartilage defects represent a serious problem due to the poor regenerative properties of this tissue. Regarding the nose, nasal valve collapse is associated with nasal blockage and persistent airway obstruction associated with a significant drop in the quality of life for patients. In addition to surgical techniques, several cell-based tissue-engineering strategies are studied to improve cartilage support in the nasal wall, that is, to ameliorate wall insufficiency. Nevertheless, there are no congruent data available on the benefit for patients during the follow-up time. In this manuscript, we propose an innovative approach in the treatment of cartilage defects in the nose (nasal valve collapse) based on autologous micro-grafts obtained by mechanical disaggregation of a small portion of cartilage tissue (Rigenera® protocol). In particular, we first analyzed in vitro murine and human cartilage micro-grafts; secondly, we analyzed the clinical results of a patient with pinched nose deformity treated with autologous micro-grafts of chondrocytes obtained by Rigenera® protocol. The use of autologous micro-graft produced promising results in surgery treatment of cartilage injuries and could be safely and easily administrated to patients with cartilage tissue defects.

A Multicentre Study: The Use of Micrografts in the Reconstruction of Full-Thickness Posttraumatic Skin Defects of the Limbs—A Whole Innovative Concept in Regenerative Surgery

“…At first, micrograft technology was applied in oral-maxillofacial surgery where micrografts derived from the human dental pulp or periosteum were used for periodontal regeneration, bone regeneration of atrophic maxilla, and alveolar socket preservation [13–16]. In the last few years, micrograft technology was applied in plastic and reconstructive surgery where micrografts derived from the cartilage were used for treatment of osteochondral lesion of the nose [17] and for enrichment of adipose tissue from human lipoaspirates [18].…”

Autologous Periosteum-Derived Micrografts and PLGA/HA Enhance the Bone Formation in Sinus Lift Augmentation

“…To this regard, it has been reported that periosteum-derived micrografts express typical markers of MSCs, such as CD73, CD90, and CD105 (Trovato et al, 2015 ). The positivity of micrografts for MSCs markers was also confirmed for those derived by other tissues, including derma, auricular cartilage, dental pulp, and cardiac atrial appendage (Trovato et al, 2015 ; Ceccarelli et al, 2017 ; De Francesco et al, 2017 ; Monti et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, to confirm the regenerative action of periosteum-derived micrografts, the ability of periosteal cells to self-commitment toward osteogenic lineage (Colnot et al, 2012 ; Ferretti and Mattioli-Belmonte, 2014 ; Lin et al, 2014 ) and to exhibit MSCs-like properties (Mattioli-Belmonte et al, 2015 ) has widely been reported.…”

Progenitor‐cell‐enriched micrografts as a novel option for the management of androgenetic alopecia

“…In addition, the regenerative potential of the micrografts and the clinical efficacy have been already shown for bone regeneration (Brunelli et al, ; Rodriguez et al, ), in the treatment of ulcers (De Francesco et al, ; Miranda, Farina, & Farina, ; Trovato, Failla, Serantoni, & Palumbo, ), wound dehiscences (Baglioni, Trovato, Marcarelli, Frenello, & Bocchiotti, ; Marcarelli, Trovato, Novarese, Riccio, & Graziano, ), pathological scars (Svolacchia, De Francesco, Trovato, Graziano, & Ferraro, ), and lastly for cartilage and cardiac regeneration (Ceccarelli et al, ; Lampinen, Nummi, Nieminen, Harjula, & Kankuri, ; Gentile, Scioli, Bielli, Orlandi, & Cervelli, ).…”