Mad Cows, Prions, and Wrinkles

The Evolution of Soft Tissue Fillers in Clinical Practice

“…Bovine collagen is obtained from the skins of cattle. The herds are isolated and carefully controlled against contact with other animals, thus reducing the risk of viral or prion contamination [5]. Human-based collagens are obtained from cadavers or human fibroblastic cell culture grown in a controlled laboratory environment.…”

Effects of crosslinked dextran in hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose on soft tissue augmentation in rats

“…A number of dermal fillers are now commercialized for soft tissue augmentation. However, bovine collagen with PMMA may cause allergic reactions or pose a risk of contamination with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) . Temporary dermal fillers such as HA may require repeated injections to maintain optimal corrections .…”

“…However, bovine collagen with PMMA may cause allergic reactions 8 or pose a risk of contamination with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). 9 Temporary dermal fillers such as HA may require repeated injections to maintain optimal corrections. 10 In addition, HA is applied for treating more superficial corrections compared with fillers used for deeper regions.…”

Botulinum Toxin and Human Serum Albumin—Reply

“…Prions are proteins that may be normal (␣ helical) and found in cell membranes or abnormal (␤ helical) and aggregated in neural tissues with toxic effects. 4 The latter is not inactivated by any current method of sterilization. 5 In the case of Botox, the HSA is derived from a screened pool of donors monitored by the US Food and Drug Administration (Rockville, Md).…”

“…Consideration is currently being given to also excluding those who have traveled to the United Kingdom and Europe who may have been inadvertently exposed to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. 4 Allergan receives its HSA from Bayer Corporation (formerly Miles Laboratories Inc), West Haven, Conn. Elan receives its HSA from Alpha Therapeutic Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif. Dysport is manufactured in Europe by Ipsen and receives its HSA from the United States; however, the company was unable to confirm the exact details of who supplied the HSA. Dysport is not currently approved for use in either the United States or Canada.…”