Skin-Derived Injectable Gel Could Simplify Breast Reconstruction Methods

Breast cancer therapies frequently leave a void, an unavoidable reminder of surgery. Traditional reconstruction presents options to fill this void, yet these choices come with compromises: relocating tissue from other body areas, enduring additional scars, experiencing lengthy recoveries, or confronting the body’s rejection of artificial implants. Recently, researchers have introduced an innovative solution: a thick, injectable paste derived from processed human skin, intended to restore volume with significantly less invasiveness.

The substance, outlined in ACS Applied Bio Materials, functions similarly to biological caulk. A research team led by Pham Ngoc Chien and Chan-Yeong Heo converted donated skin into what is known as an acellular dermal matrix, or ADM. They eliminated living cells while maintaining the structural proteins, then froze and ground the tissue into microscopic particles. When mixed with water, it transforms into a paste that can be directly injected into uneven spaces left after tumor removal.

ADM is already utilized in reconstructive surgery, typically as flat sheets for tendon repair or tissue support. However, sheets do not conform well to the intricate cavities created by breast-preserving procedures. By innovating an injectable variant, the team set out to provide surgeons with a filler that adapts to any shape and integrates seamlessly with surrounding tissue.

“By encouraging blood vessel formation and tissue remodeling while minimizing inflammation and reducing capsular contracture, the injectable acellular matrix could enhance the safety, decrease invasiveness, and increase accessibility of breast reconstruction, thus improving long-term comfort and cosmetic results for patients,” Pham Ngoc Chien states.

Why the body might genuinely accept this

Conventional implants elicit a predictable response: the body identifies a foreign object and attempts to isolate it with dense, fibrous tissue. This reaction, known as capsular contracture, can cause breasts to feel rigid or painful. In experiments with rats, the new paste appeared to avoid this issue altogether. After a period of six months, the animals exhibited no negative health effects, and notably, the tissue layers forming around the injection sites were significantly thinner than those produced by existing commercial ADM products.

The material is not merely passive. It is engineered as a temporary scaffold that the body gradually replaces with its own tissue. New blood vessels infiltrate the area, and remodeling progresses steadily over several months. The retained collagen, elastin, and growth factors within the processed skin facilitate this integration, while low levels of inflammatory stimuli such as residual DNA keep the immune response manageable. Rather than introducing something the body must endure indefinitely, surgeons could inject a framework that the body is already equipped to utilize.

The gap between animals and patients

The findings suggest a future where breast reconstruction could involve a syringe instead of extensive surgical procedures, but the researchers clearly indicate their current position: this research is in the preclinical phase. Longer safety assessments are necessary, along with more intricate testing to verify the paste behaves reliably over years instead of months. Additionally, there is concern about whether the material may disrupt future cancer screenings or mask possible recurrences.

If these challenges are overcome, the injectable implant could provide a middle ground in post-cancer treatment. It would allow patients to restore their silhouette via a needle rather than a scalpel, potentially decreasing both physical trauma and recovery duration. For the moment, it remains a prototype with promising initial findings, indicating that sometimes the optimal solution to a complex surgical dilemma is assisting the body in self-repair.

ACS Applied Bio Materials: 10.1021/acsabm.5c01538