Response to: 'Adipose stromal vascular fraction and regenerative therapy in SSc: response to the article by Magalon et al ' by De Benedetto et al .

We would like to thank Di Benedetto et al 1 for their constructive comments on our recent publication in Annals of Rheumatic Disease entitled ‘Molecular profile and proangiogenic activity of the adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction used as an autologous innovative medicinal product in patients with systemic sclerosis’.2 Di Benedetto et al mentioned that the profibrotic signature of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from patients with the diffuse cutaneous form of systemic sclerosis (dc-SSc) has been established from previous works. In line with this, they discussed the potential risk of increasing the fibrotic burden by using autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (ADVSF) in which MSCs are highly represented. Although this is a fair question in the context of developing MSCs-based therapy for SSc, we would like to emphasise the fact that the biological findings …