Rabbit fat pad regeneration

Trauma, tumor removal, congenital defects and aging can result in soft tissue loss that require reconstructive surgery.  Usually the replacement tissue comes from fat located somewhere else in the patient’s body.  That then leaves a deficit.  To address this, bioengineers at Johns Hopkins have developed a new soft tissue of hydrogel, hyaluronic acid and polycaprolactone fibers that can be injected through a needle.  It is thick enough to hold a desired shape, but thin enough to allow cells and blood vessels to eventually rebuild the tissue.    MORE

Image Credit: Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine