12/03/07
St. Petersburg, Fla- based dermatologist, James Spencer, MD, is conducting a study to evaluate ArteFill®, a nonresorbable dermal filler for the treatment of acne scars and other depressed atrophic scars. ArteFill is currently approved to treat nasolabial folds, or smile line wrinkles. Spencer, professor of clinical dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, expects to enroll 15 patients by the end of March 2008.
One month after their ArteFill treatment, patients will return for assessment and standardized photographs will be clinically graded by a blinded dermatologist for degree of scar correction. A patient satisfaction survey along with patient photos of the results are part of the current study protocol. These patients will be followed for 1 year after ArteFill treatment. After study completion, these findings will be submitted and are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed dermatology journal.
"I use temporary fillers in my practice to treat acne scars and other types of scars," says Spencer. "Unfortunately, temporary fillers necessitate expensive repeat injections so a permanent dermal filler would be desirable to correct a permanent scar. I’m using ArteFill in my medical practice for smile lines and I can now document the use of ArteFill for acne and other facial scars."
Spencer received a research grant from Artes Medical Inc to conduct this study.
[www.medicalnewstoday.com, December 3, 2007]
