Comparison of Efficacy of Intradermal Stromal Vascular Fraction Injection Versus Saline Injection in the Treatment of Atrophic Acne Scar: A 10-Week, Prospective, Randomized, Split-Face, Single-Blind Controlled Trial.

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Management of atrophic acne scars remains challenging, and conventional treatments often yield suboptimal or inconsistent outcomes. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a cell-rich fraction derived from adipose tissue, has recently gained attention as a promising regenerative therapy. Several previous studies have reported benefits of SVF when combined with other treatment modalities; however, its stand-alone efficacy for atrophic acne scars has not been clearly investigated. In addition, molecular evidence supporting the regenerative effects of SVF in acne scar treatment remains limited. This randomized, evaluator-blinded, split-face clinical trial was conducted in 14 patients with bilateral facial atrophic acne scars. One side was treated with intradermal SVF injection, while the contralateral side received normal saline (NS). Clinical outcomes were assessed using scar counts, Évaluation Clinique des Cicatrices d'Acne (ECCA) scores, Scar Global Assessment (SGA) scores, and standardized photography at baseline, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks. Skin biopsies were analyzed via immunohistochemistry for markers of epidermal regeneration (cytokeratin 14, cytokeratin 15, p63, integrin β1) and dermal remodeling (collagen I, elastin, vimentin). At 10 weeks after initial treatment, the SVF-treated side showed a significantly greater reduction in total scar count compared to the NS-treated side (56.4

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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