Successful Treatment of Depressed, Distensible Acne Scars Using Autologous Fibroblasts: A Multi-Site, Prospective, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background A previous clinical trial evaluating autologous fibroblasts (human dermal) injections for the treatment of facial contour deformities found significantly greater improvements in wrinkle and acne scar appearance than with placebo treatment.Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of autologous fibroblast treatment of moderate to severe, depressed, distensible facial acne scars with that of vehicle control.Methods This was a randomized multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in subjects with bilateral moderate to severe acne scarring; subjects served as their own controls. Skin biopsies were obtained from randomized subjects for fibroblast production. Subjects (n = 99) underwent three intradermal injection sessions with 2 mL of autologous fibroblast suspension (10–20 million cells/mL) on one cheek and vehicle control (cell culture medium) on the other at 14-day intervals. Efficacy was based on the blinded subject’s, evaluator’s, and independent photographic viewer’s (IPR) assessment of acne scarring 1 to 4 months after the last treatment.Results Autologous fibroblast treatment was associated with significantly greater treatment success than vehicle control for the subject (43% vs 18%), evaluator (59% vs 42%), and IPR assessments. Autologous fibroblast injections were well tolerated, without permanent adverse effects.Conclusions Autologous fibroblast injections safely and effectively improved the appearance of depressed distensible acne scars.

Fibromodulin reprogrammed cells: A novel cell source for bone regeneration

“…On the other hand, iPSCs can be derived directly from dermal fibroblasts, which are easily obtained and expanded from skin biopsies [17, 65]. Moreover, there is already a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved product for autologous dermal fibroblast expansion and injection (www.fibrocellscience.com), which confirmed the safety of autologous dermal fibroblast application [66]. However, because the introduction of transcriptional factors essential for embryonic development (such as Yamanaka factors or Thomson factors) into the genome of target somatic cells is essential for classic iPSC generation, and such a process may involve unwanted gene activation and interruption from viral integration, iPSCs are likely to carry an even higher risk of tumorigenesis than ESCs [8–12].…”

Scar Management in the Pediatric and Adolescent Populations

“…105 Trials are currently underway to see if similar interventions can improve scar pliability, improve range of motion, and restore function in contracture scars.…”

Mesenchymal stromal cells: properties and role in management of cutaneous diseases

“…Treatment of acne scars is challenging and multiple techniques including laser resurfacing are usually combined . Other promising solutions for atrophic acne scars include temporary filler agents such as hyaluronic acid, longer lasting synthetic polymer poly‐L‐acid (PLLA) and cell‐based therapy using autologous fibroblasts . A phase I clinical trial is underway using a filler agent composed of autologous ASCs and hyaluronic acid (Table ).…”

“…81 Other promising solutions for atrophic acne scars include temporary filler agents such as hyaluronic acid, longer lasting synthetic polymer poly-L-acid (PLLA) 82 and cell-based therapy using autologous fibroblasts. 83 A phase I clinical trial is underway using a filler agent composed of autologous ASCs and hyaluronic acid ( Table 3). For hypertrophic scars resulting from excessive inflammation, local injection of human BMSCs was shown to modulate inflammation and prevent hypertrophic scar formation in a rabbit model.…”