Efficacy and Safety of Autologous Cell-Based Therapies for Atrophic Acne Scar Treatment: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with In-Depth Methodological and Clinical Insights

March 2026 in “ Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ”

Shuang Zhang, Yanxia Ren, Xudong Hong, Yuanzhe Shi, Tingting Si, Xudong Zhang

autologous cell-based therapies stromal vascular fraction ReCell system atrophic acne scars ECCA scores scar depth reduction wound healing SVF ReCell

TLDR Autologous cell-based therapies, especially SVF, effectively and safely improve atrophic acne scars.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of autologous cell-based therapies, such as stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and the ReCell® system, for treating atrophic acne scars. Analyzing 18 studies with 500 participants, the research found that these therapies significantly improved ECCA scores, patient satisfaction, scar depth reduction, and wound healing compared to control treatments. SVF-based therapies showed the largest effect size. Additionally, the incidence of adverse events was lower in the intervention groups. The findings support the effectiveness and safety of autologous cell-based therapies, particularly SVF, in treating atrophic acne scars, and provide insights for optimizing clinical protocols and future research.

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