PSEF National Endowment Grant
Optimizing Techniques in Autologous Fat Grafting
Stephen Baker, MD, DDS
Ali Al-Attar, MD, PhD
Michael Johnson, PhD
Michael Cohen, MD
Lydia Kuo, PhD
Zofia Zukowska, MD, PhD

 INTRODUCTION
Plastic surgeons are attempting to identify mechanisms to increase the predictability of grafted autologous fat.  Variables that may improve graft survival are optimal cell quality, growth factors, and matrices for delivery of growth factors.  Animal models that closely replicate human conditions are essential to assess the in vivo effects of various harvesting and processing techniques or to compare the effects of various growth factors.  The nude mouse serves as a useful tool because it accepts xenografts which allows the investigator to distinguish between the engrafted human fat and that of the host mouse at a cellular level.