Atrophic Scar

Lay Summary (Simple Explanation) Atrophic scars are depressed scars that form when the skin does not heal properly, commonly seen after acne or injuries. These scars can affect appearance and confidence, and current treatments may not always give satisfactory results. This study aims to evaluate a new treatment using exosomes, which are tiny particles naturally released by cells that help in skin repair and regeneration. Researchers will compare the effect of injecting exosomes directly into scars versus injecting a simple saltwater solution (saline), which serves as a control. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either exosome injections or saline injections. Neither the patient nor the evaluator may know which treatment is given, to ensure fair comparison. The goal is to determine whether exosomes can safely and effectively improve the appearance and texture of atrophic scars.

The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single administration of TRTP-101 in adults with atrophic scars.

There are more than 100 million patients who develop scar formation caused by various factors, such as post-inflammatory acne and trauma (1). They often have physical, aesthetic, psychological, and social barriers. Scar tissue is naturally a stage of wound healing. Abnormal wound healing produces a spectrum of scar tissue types such as atrophic, hypertrophic, and keloid scars (2). Atrophic scars are dermal depressions, which are commonly caused by the destruction of collagen following inflammatory process. This permanent disfiguring sequelae correlates with the duration of pathology, severity of lesion, and delay in therapy (3). Treatment of atrophic acne scars remains a therapeutic challenge, yet there is no standard option as the most effective treatment (4). A range of possible options has been investigated including surgical techniques (subcision, non-ablative laser treatment, resurfacing techniques (ablative laser treatment, dermabrasion), and injection or dermal fillers or fat, and a combination of two or more modalities (5). Ultrasound is a unique non-invasive and non-radiating medical imaging tool in the investigation of dermatological diseases by providing detailed anatomic and physiologic data of skin lesions and deeper soft tissue changes. Lesion size in three dimensions-lengths, width, and depth, morphology, the detailed anatomic information provided by sonography is useful to assessment of effect of different types of treatment modality to improve atrophic scar and avoid invasive assessment tools as punch biopsy for histopathological examination (6)