Peptide Hydrogel Enhances Adipocyte Viability and Reduces Inflammatory Response in Fat Grafting: A Preclinical Study.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• 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)

Background Fat grafting is gaining traction in regenerative and aesthetic medicine because of ease of adipose tissue harvesting and potential applications in autologous soft tissue reconstructions. A key challenge remains the limited viability of lipoaspirate-derived adipocytes following the procedures of harvesting, processing, and implantation, which leads to suboptimal outcomes in graft survival. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a hydrogel composed of the amphiphilic and anionic β-sheet peptide Pro-Asp-(Phe-Asp)5-Pro (PFD) enhances fat graft outcomes by improving adipocyte viability, reducing inflammatory response, and facilitating tissue integration compared with conventional fat grafting. Methods PFD-lipoaspirate mixtures were characterized in vitro, and a lead mixture was tested in porcine models used for initial safety and efficacy assessment of subcutaneous implantation at 1 and 3 months after treatment. A single animal was used for each time point, with multiple treatment sites in each animal and a minimum of 3 sites for each of the treatment and control formulations. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. Results PFD hydrogel exhibited superior injectability with smaller extrusion force than hyaluronic acid. The hydrogel could be readily mixed with lipoaspirate to form cohesive, uniform compositions that demonstrated a sm

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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