The present study was designed to evaluate the clinical outcome of cell-based therapy with cultured adiposederived stromal cells (ASCs) for the treatment of cutaneous manifestations in patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc). ASCs have an extraordinary developmental plasticity, including the ability to undergo multilineage differentiation and self-renewal. Moreover, ASCs can be easily harvested from small volumes of liposuction aspirate, showing great in vitro viability and proliferation rate. Here we isolated, characterized, and expanded ASCs, assessing both their mesenchymal origin and their capability to differentiate towards the adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineage. We developed an effective method for ASCs transplantation into sclerodermic patients by means of a hyaluronic acid (HA) solution, which allowed us to achieve precise structural modifications. ASCs were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue of six sclerodermic patients and cultured in a chemical-defined medium before autologous transplantation to restore skin sequelae. The results indicated that transplantation of a combination of ASCs in HA solution determined a significant improvement in tightening of the skin without complications such as anechoic areas, fat necrosis, or infections, thus suggesting that ASCs are a potentially valuable source of cells for skin therapy in rare diseases such as SSc and generally in skin disorders.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a feasible and cost-effective treatment in the management of postburn pathologic scars.

No abstract

Carbon dioxide therapy results as an effective noninvasive modality for the rejuvenation of the periorbital area.

Capsular contracture after breast augmentation is a distressing, troublesome event both for the patient and the surgeon. Fibrosis transforms the prosthesis into a hardened sphere, turning the initially satisfactory cosmetic result into a deformed mass. Treatment for capsular contracture can be either surgical, consisting of capsulotomy or capsulectomy with implant replacement, or pharmacologic, consisting of intracapsular instillation of steroids and antibiotics. The success rates for both types of treatment vary. Although capsular contracture is a multifactorial process, one common denominator in the successful treatment of this complication is believed to be the abatement of inflammation. Leukotriene antagonists have emerged recently as effective prophylactic agents for reactive airway diseases. Anecdotal reports have indicated that zafirlukast and montelukast effectively reverse capsular contracture. The authors investigated whether capsular contracture varies significantly over time after zafirlukast therapy by studying 20 women who had breast prostheses implanted and then experienced the development of capsular contracture. The results suggest that capsular contracture responds favorably to treatment with zafirlukast. The findings indicate that zafirlukast may reduce pain and breast capsule distortion for patients with long-standing contracture who either are not surgical candidates or do not wish to undergo surgery.