A Pilot Study Comparing a Micronized Adipose Tissue Niche versus Standard Wound Care for Treatment of Neuropathic Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated the various properties of micronized adipose tissue (MAT), including angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative activities, which can be helpful in wound healing. This exploratory clinical trial aimed to report the efficacy and safety of MAT niche for treating diabetic foot ulcers. Twenty subjects were randomly divided into MAT niche treatment (n = 10) and control groups (n = 10). All patients were followed up weekly for 16 weeks. We evaluated the efficacy of the MAT niche treatment by assessing the (1) reduction in wound area after 4 weeks and (2) percentage of patients who achieved complete wound closure after 16 weeks. All possible adverse events were recorded. The wound area was reduced by 4.3 ± 1.0 cm2 in the treatment group and by 2.0 ± 1.1 cm2 in the control group (p = 0.043). Complete wound healing was achieved after 16 weeks in eight out of 10 patients (80%) in the treatment group and three out of six (50%) in the control group (p = 0.299). No serious adverse events related to MAT niche treatment were observed. Although the present study’s findings do not support the use of this therapy to treat foot ulcers of patients with diabetes owing to the small number of patients included and the absence of statistical significance, the results of this pilot preliminary study are promising in that MAT niche autografts may offer the possibility of a simple and effective treatment for diabetic ulcers. Further follow-up studies with a larger number of patients are required to validate our findings.