What it means for a patient
- Nanofat is your own fat broken down and filtered so it passes through a very fine needle.
- Nanofat contained no living fat cells in this study. The authors used it for skin quality, fine lines, scars and dark under-eye skin, and conclude it seems suitable for skin rejuvenation.
- Ask your surgeon whether nanofat fits your goals.
- The lab study tested only 3 samples, and the clinical results are described from cases, not a controlled trial.
Why this paper matters
It introduced nanofat as a form of fat grafting aimed at skin rejuvenation. The authors state nanofat "might become a new concept" in fat grafting.
Overview
Fat grafting is used more and more, often with thin cannulas. The authors describe injecting fat through needles as fine as 27 gauge after processing it into "nanofat," which they used to treat fine wrinkles, scars and dark lower eyelids. They also compared the cell content of three fat samples in the lab.
Findings
- Nanofat grafting was performed in 67 cases for superficial wrinkles, scars and dark lower eyelids; 3 clinical cases are described.
- Lab study: 3 fat samples compared: classic lipoaspirate (macrofat), microfat from a multiport small-hole cannula, and microfat processed into nanofat.
- Nanofat processing: emulsifying and filtering the lipoaspirate.
- Samples were tested for fat cell viability, stromal vascular fraction cells, the CD34+ subfraction, and stem cell growth in culture.
- No living fat cells (adipocytes) were seen in the nanofat sample.
- Adipose-derived stem cells were still richly present in nanofat.
- Stem cells from all 3 samples showed equal ability to multiply and to develop into other cell types.
- Clinical cases showed remarkable improvement in skin quality 6 months after treatment.
- No infections, fat cysts, granulomas or other unwanted side effects were observed.
Terms
- Nanofat: fat that is emulsified and filtered into a liquid fine enough to inject through a 27-gauge needle.
- Microfat: fat harvested with a small-hole cannula and injected through thin cannulas.
- Lipoaspirate: fat removed by liposuction.
- Adipocyte: a fat cell.
- Stromal vascular fraction: the mix of non-fat cells in fat tissue, including stem cells.
- Adipose-derived stem cells: stem cells found in fat tissue.
- Emulsification: mixing fat until it breaks into a fluid.
- Rhytides: wrinkles.