Abstract
Purpose :
The loss of the functional lacrimal gland (LG) tissue results in the multifactorial aqueous subtype of DED, the ADDE. Despite a prevalence of 5 to 50 %, there is still no curative treatment. One possibility for a curative treatment is the regeneration of the damaged LG by using stem cells. One promising source of stem cells is the adipose tissue. The VoiceInject®- method is a new minimally invasive procedure to generate the so-called "stromal vascular fraction (SVF) gel". This SVF is a mechanically processed product of adipose tissue consisting of extracellular matrix and mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC). In the present work, the content of MSCs in the SVF-gel was investigated, as well as the regenerative capacity of the SVF on damaged lacrimal gland cells in vitro.
Methods :
Human adipose tissue specimens resected during body lift as well as liposuction procedures was used to generate the SVF using the VoiceInject®- System. After the processing steps, the cells contained in the SVF gel were cultured and characterized with regard to stem cell properties, e.g. proliferative behavior, differentiation capacities as well as positive staining for stem cell markers. To analyze the regenerative capacity, the supernatants of the various processing methods were applied to damaged epithelial cells of the LG and regeneration was measured using viability tests.
Results :
The cultivated cells from the SFV showed the morphology typical for ADSC and a characteristic proliferation and colony forming behavior. Furthermore, their osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential could be confirmed. The results of the LG cell regeneration showed an increase in the regenerative potential of the BM-V (88.66% ± 1.72%) processed with the VoiceInject®-System compared to control (79.24% ± 1.43%) at 48h.
Conclusions :
The SVF gel generated by the VoiceInject®- System contains ADSC with their typical characteristics and is thus a promising injection material for regenerative therapeutic approaches. The secretome of the SFV cells displayed a regenerative potential on damaged LG epithelial cells in vitro. A direct application of the SVF into damaged lacrimal glands from patients with ADDE, might be a promising therapeutic approach for a curative treatment of ADDE.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.