Injectable SVF-loaded porcine extracellular matrix powders for adipose tissue engineering

Abstract

This study provides a novel method in injectable tissue engineering which contains porcine extracellular matrix (ECM) powder scaffolds and stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) cells. We fabricated ECM powders from porcine adipose tissue and mixed the SVF cell suspension together with the ECM powders immediately after the isolation. SVF-loaded ECM powders and their controls were respectively injected into the dorsa of mice. After 6 weeks, the interest sites were harvested and analyzed using histology, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Histology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the presence of the SVF cells loaded in the ECM powders promoted adipogenesis, angiopoiesis and matrix remodeling. This was in parallel with upregulation of host cell recruitment and adipogenesis genes. The results provide cellular and molecular evidence suggesting a novel method in injectable tissue engineering. We believe that SVF-loaded ECM powders could act as efficient injectable biomaterials for tissue engineering and have great potential for meeting clinical challenges in regenerative medicine, particularly in relation to adipose tissue engineering.