30-Second Takeaway
- Bioengineered autologous dermo-epidermal grafts can improve scar quality and dramatically spare donor skin versus split-thickness grafts.
- Autologous cell-based therapies, especially SVF, show meaningful acne scar improvement with favorable safety in controlled studies.
- Emerging microneedle patches and growth-factor hydrogels target infection, oxidative stress, and release kinetics to reduce scarring in large wounds.
- Engineered immune modulation and advanced dressings may improve survival and quality of skin and radiation-injured graft beds.
- Transmasculine top surgery performed in minors shows high postoperative congruence and low dysphoria, informing counseling and consent.
Week ending March 28, 2026
Regenerative and biomaterial innovations reshaping skin grafting, wound healing, and gender-affirming outcomes
Bio-engineered autologous dermo-epidermal graft outperforms split-thickness grafts for scars and donor-site sparing
In this intra-patient multicenter phase II trial, 23 patients received both denovoSkin™ and split-thickness skin grafts for comparable full-thickness defects. Observer POSAS scores favored denovoSkin™ at 3 months and remained better at 12 months, indicating more favorable long-term scar quality. Objective elasticity parameters consistently favored denovoSkin™, suggesting more physiologic biomechanical skin properties. The area-covered to donor-site ratio was markedly higher with denovoSkin™ than with split-thickness grafts, substantially sparing donor skin. No major safety concerns emerged, supporting denovoSkin™ as a safe reconstructive option for extensive defects with improved skin quality.
Transmasculine and nonbinary top surgery in minors associated with high congruence and low dysphoria
This survey studied 53 individuals who underwent transmasculine or nonbinary top surgery before age 18, with follow-up averaging 3.7 years postoperatively. Participants reported high transgender appearance congruence and high gender identity acceptance on validated scales. Chest dysphoria scores were very low, and anxiety and depression scores fell in the minimal to mild range. Perceived social support was high, aligning with favorable psychosocial outcomes after surgery in adolescence. These findings support gender-affirming chest surgery as a beneficial option for appropriately selected youth under established standards of care.
Autologous cell-based therapies, especially SVF, improve atrophic acne scars with good safety
This systematic review and meta-analysis included 18 trials with 500 participants receiving autologous cell-based therapies for atrophic acne scars. Compared with controls, cell therapies significantly reduced ECCA scar scores, with a pooled standardized mean difference of -1.25. SVF-based interventions showed the largest effect size among the evaluated modalities. Patient satisfaction was higher and objective assessments showed greater scar depth reduction and faster healing in intervention groups. Adverse events were less frequent with autologous cell therapies than controls, supporting a favorable safety profile for regenerative acne scar treatments.
References
Numbered in order of appearance. Click any reference to view details.
Additional Reads
Optional additional studies from this edition.