Stem cells for acne? The Internet has been buzzing for some time with reports of a stem cell acne cure. Can injections of stem cells actually cure acne? Theoretically, it makes sense. The magic of stem cells is that they can differentiate into new, specialized cells, including skin and fat cells – two of the major types of cells implicated in acne. It seems like a reasonable stretch to imagine that stem cells could replace the erring skin cells that cause acne – but that’s not quite how it works. Acne isn’t just a matter of sick cells – it’s a systemic imbalance that has many different triggers and factors.
On the other hand, one of the most telling and lasting effects of acne, particularly cystic acne, are the scars it leaves behind. In the area of scar reduction, stem cells appear to be a viable treatment option. In fact, many doctors are using stem cells to reduce the appearance of acne scars, which could be just as important to someone who has suffered through acne as a full-fledged stem cell acne cure.
Why Adult Stem Cells?
These treatments use adult stem cells, most often taken from the patient’s own body. This eliminates two troublesome aspects of stem cell treatments – the controversial ethical issues arising from the use of embryonic stem cells, and the tendency to reject cells from sources outside our own bodies. The majority of adults in the United States have a healthy supply of stem cells in their own fatty tissue. The technology for stem cell reproduction hasn’t quite reached the point of skin replacement, but there is another way that stem cells are used in reducing acne scarring.
Stem Cells Instead of Fat Grafts
The traditional way of reducing the appearance of acne scars is with fat grafts. Dermatologists have been using fat grafts to conceal scars since the procedure was invented in 1893 by a German doctor. In fat grafts, a doctor removes fat from the belly or buttocks using liposuction and injects the fat beneath the skin where it needs plumping to conceal a scar. The biggest problem with fat implants is that the scar treatment only lasts a few months because the body naturally reabsorbs the fat. Injecting patients with their own stem cells, however, seems to have longer lasting effects.
Japanese doctors have been experimenting with stem cell injections to reduce acne scarring for some time. Instead of harvesting fat from the belly or buttocks, doctors take them from the connective tissue beneath the belly fat. Once they’ve reproduced sufficiently in the lab, the stem cells are mixed with hyaluronic acid, which is one of the basic building blocks of skin. The hyaluronic acid stabilizes the skin and helps keep the stem cells in place so that they can attach themselves and grow in place.
Unlike fat injections, the so-called stem cell acne cure brings about a gradual, natural change that increases as the stem cells increase and grow. It takes about eight to twelve weeks for the stem cells to become fat cells that support the desired contour of the skin. There is no inflammation, swelling, scarring or discoloration during the healing process. The technique is also being used to fill in frown lines, repair burn injuries and augment breasts, and shows promise for many other types of cosmetic treatments.