- Image by *spud* via Flickr
An experimental treatment in Spain has shown promising possibilities to rebuild breasts damaged by tumors with the use of fat taken from the patient’s abdomen, removing stem cells, then injecting them into the chest, in a process that takes from four to five hours and does not leave scars.
Five patients from Madrid were the first in Spain to undergo the pioneering operation performed at Gregorio Maranon in collaboration with three other European hospitals in Great Britain, Italy, and Belgium. Mesenchymal stem cells, adult stem cells with the ability to transform into different tissues, are the key in this process. If the technique functions, something that will be able to be assessed in a year, it will mean that the cells have generated new blood vessels to heal the area.
The candidates were all recovering from a tumor called T1 No Mo. These are very small tumors that have not metastasized to the ganglion or anywhere else. The conditions to participate in the experiment were very strict in order to avoid complications feared by stem cell researchers, since stem cells have a great reproductive capacity and could cause cancer. “In this case, the stem cells are separated, but not stimulated. The women will also undergo ultrasounds in Lyon”, explained plastic surgeon, Jose’ Maria Lasso.
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