Regenerative Endoscopy in Refractory Perianal Crohn's Disease

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Autologous Mechanical Tissue Stromal Vascular Fraction (tSVF) Injection: Autologous adipose tissue harvest by tumescent liposuction followed by same-session mechanical processing to obtain tissue stromal vascular fraction (tSVF) and local injection into the perianal fistula tract and internal opening region

Study summary

Perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (pCD) represents a severe phenotype of Crohn's disease, affecting approximately 20-30% of patients and resulting in chronic drainage, recurrent sepsis, impaired continence, and reduced quality of life. Despite optimization of biologics, antibiotics, and surgical drainage, durable healing remains difficult to achieve. Conventional surgical approaches such as curettage or seton management alone yield modest remission rates, and repeated procedures may compromise sphincter integrity.

Autologous mechanically processed tissue stromal vascular fraction (tSVF) is derived from adipose tissue using non enzymatic methods and can be prepared and reinjected during the same operative session. Unlike culture-expanded or enzymatically isolated cell products, mechanical tSVF retains a native adipose micro architecture containing stromal cells, perivascular elements, endothelial progenitors, extracellular matrix components, and bioactive cytokines. This heterogeneous microenvironment is hypothesized to exert immunomodulatory, pro angiogenic, and regenerative effects that may enhance tract healing while preserving sphincter function.

Mechanical processing avoids enzymatic digestion, cell expansion, and complex laboratory infrastructure, making it potentially more feasible and cost effective in real world settings. However, high quality prospective data evaluating mechanically processed autologous tSVF specifically in refractory complex pCD remain limited, and feasibility data are required before undertaking a large randomized trial.

This single arm pilot feasibility study is therefore designed to evaluate procedural feasibility, safety, and preliminary signals of clinical and radiological healing following mechanical tSVF injection in refractory complex perianal Crohn's disease. The results will inform design parameters, outcome variability, and sample size estimation for a future definitive multicenter trial.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy at Week 24 — Week 24
  •Assess feasibility (recruitment rate, retention to Week 24, protocol adherence, and tSVF processing success rate) and generate preliminary efficacy estimates for mechanical tSVF injection in refractory complex pCD.

Trial sites (2)

More Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, India trials in India

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