A 3D Printed Poly(ε-caprolactone)-Collagen Hybrid Mesh (TissueDerm) for Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy in a Pig Model

Abstract

Background:Implant supporting materials are currently used in breast reconstruction. However, when used in humans, they are associated with several problems. To address these issues, a new mesh called TissueDerm was created by combining a collagen sponge with a 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) mesh. It has shown promising results in pig experiments and could potentially replace the most commonly used acellular dermal matrix (ADM) for breast reconstruction.Methods:Four 12-month-old minipigs were used in this experiment. Silicone implants were wrapped with ADM or TissueDerm, and the breast tissue was excised and implanted along with the wrapped implants. Three months later, the minipigs were sacrificed and the skin and mammary gland tissue surrounding the implants were harvested for further analysis. Histological analyses and immunostaining were performed.Results:Although there was no significant difference in capsule thickness between the ADM and TissueDerm groups, collagen was more involved in TissueDerm, leading to better tissue regeneration. TissueDerm also induced lower levels of inflammatory markers TNF-alpha and IL-6 compared to ADM. However, capsules induced with ADM had significantly higher collagen fiber alignment and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) positive immunoreactivity, suggesting that TissueDerm may be less likely to cause spherical contractures in the porcine model compared to ADM.Conclusions:The study found that TissueDerm has advantages over ADM in terms of easier tissue invasion and reduced spheroidization in a porcine model. The results showed that TissueDerm is a promising new mesh for implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR) and could potentially replace ADM.