Breast Reconstruction with a Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Approach (Systematic Review)

Current techniques for breast reconstruction include an autologous-tissue flap or an implant-based procedure, although both can impose further morbidity. This systematic review aims to explore the existing literature on breast reconstruction using a tissue engineering approach; conducted with the databases Medline and Embase. A total of 28 articles were included, mainly comprising of level-5 evidence with in vitro and animal studies focusing on utilizing scaffolds to support the migration and growth of new tissue; scaffolds can be either biological or synthetic. Biological scaffolds were composed of collagen or a decellularized tissue matrix scaffold. Synthetic scaffolds were primarily composed of polymers with customisable designs, adjusting the internal morphology and pore size. Implanting cells, including adipose-derived stem cells, with combined use of basic fibroblast growth factor has been studied in an attempt to enhance tissue regeneration. Lately, a level-4 evidence human case series was reported; successfully regenerating 210 mL of tissue using an arterio-venous pedicled fat flap within a tissue engineering chamber implanted on the chest wall. Further research is required to evaluate whether the use of cells and other growth factors could adjust the composition of regenerated tissue and improve vascularity; the latter a major limiting factor for creating larger volumes of tissue.