Dr. Elizabeth Roche of Elizabeth Roche MD MedSpa talks about PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) and the newer bioengineered PDGF+. Dr. Roche explains how PDGF naturally exists in platelet-rich plasma and supports cell growth, collagen production, wound healing, and skin rejuvenation, while PDGF+ is a lab-made, highly concentrated version that delivers more consistent and potent results without requiring a blood draw. She discusses why PDGF+ is currently approved for topical aesthetic use only, the controversy around clinicians injecting it without FDA approval, and the potential risks associated with injectable use. Dr. Roche shares how she safely uses PDGF+ topically after procedures like microneedling, laser resurfacing, and scalp treatments, while emphasizing the importance of proper regulation, dosing, and patient safety before injectable aesthetic use becomes standard.
John Maher: Hi, I’m John Maher and I’m here today with Dr. Elizabeth Roche, founder of the Elizabeth Roche M.D. MedSpa in Bergen County, New Jersey, a medical aesthetics center committed to providing people with the most advanced procedures available to restore youth while preserving the beauty and functional health of your skin. Today we’re talking about PDGF. Welcome, Dr. Roche.
Dr. Elizabeth Roche: Thank you, John. Thanks for having me back.
What Is PDGF?
John: Sure. So tell me a little bit about PDGF and what that is.
Dr. Roche: So PDGF stands for platelet derived growth factor. It is a protein that’s found naturally in our blood and we actually spin blood and obtain something called PRP or platelet-rich plasma. And in that platelet-rich plasma exists this PDGF, platelet-derived growth factors. These growth factors stimulate new cell growth and collagen synthesis. It helps with wound healing. It helps with creation of new blood vessels. And we use it in aesthetics to enhance the treatments that we provide to help create beautiful skin.
What is PDGF+
John: So then what is PDGF+?
Dr. Roche: PDGF+ usually indicates that it’s a manufactured form or bioengineered form of this product. It’s a highly concentrated enhanced form of PDGF. Using commercial formulations of PDGF made in a lab, usually by recombinant gene technology, they’re able to create a form of PDGF that is very powerful, very strong, and it is a purified form of it. The concentration of PDGF+ is much higher than what we would find in someone’s plasma.
John: Okay. So PDGF is a protein that’s found naturally in platelet-rich plasma or PRP. And then when we see the PDGF+, that indicates that it’s a bioengineered form of PDGF.
Dr. Roche: Yes, that is correct. PDGF exists naturally in our plasma. PDGF+ is a bioengineered form, which is a highly concentrated form of this product.
Advantages Of PDGF+ Over PDGF
John: So, then is there any advantage in using a lab developed PDGF+ instead of what’s present in PRP?
Dr. Roche: Yes, there is. Using PDGF+ has some advantages. This includes that there’s no blood draw necessary, so a patient can come in and we pull this syringe of the product right out of the box. So, that is really helpful for patients who have a fear of blood draws. It is highly concentrated and potent. It is 1,000 to 300,000 times more potent than the PDGF you’d find naturally in your plasma.
And that’s a big range. It depends on a person’s age, their overall health, even their nutrition or how they are at that moment. The PDGF+ is consistent. We know exactly the results that we would get because it’s the same consistent amount that we pull out of the syringe. The results are amazing because of the high concentration. You have even greater results in the end. So quicker healing and more dramatic results occur with the PDGF+.
Controversy Surrounding PDGF+
John: So, I looked into PDGF a little bit online, and I found that all over social media, there’s some controversy about using PDGF+. What is that controversy and is it safe to use?
Dr. Roche: PDGF+ is absolutely safe to use. I use it all the time after laser peels or microneedling, and I infuse it topically on the skin. The controversy over social media is, “how is it used”? So, there are people who are injecting it and, at this moment, the FDA has not approved an injectable form for aesthetic use.
There are injectable forms of PDGF that have been approved in the past for either orthopedic use to help stimulate bone growth, a paste for dental use, and a gel-like form for diabetic foot ulcers. But the aesthetic use of PDGF+ is for topical only. And some of the companies write on the syringe, it’ll say, “This product is not intended for injection / for topical use only.” Despite that, there are some clinicians who are injecting it and they’re getting, most of the time, beautiful results, but sometimes there’s some complications that have been occurring.
So, this is what the controversy is all about. Is it safe to inject? I feel that at this moment that I feel safer just using it as a topical application.
Is Injected PDGF+ Just An Off-Label Use?
John: Now, some people might say, “Well, that’s just an off-label use of the product.” You do that all of the time. You have things that are intended for injections in the face that then you go and you do injections into the buttocks or something like that. So, what’s the difference here between this type of off-label use and the off-label use that you might have with a different product?
Dr. Roche: You’re absolutely correct with that. Medicines have been used off-label all the time. The question I think is what leap do we want to take? How far of a leap do we want to take? So, off-label use means that the FDA has approved a product or a medication for a specific area. So, let’s say we’re talking about dermal fillers. Dermal fillers have initially been approved for the nasolabial folds or for the lips, and clinicians started using them in the cheeks and the jawline. So it’s injected in the same tissue. It’s very close in the area. Same thing with Botox. Botox was initially approved for the lines between the eyebrows, the glabella lines. And then clinicians started using it, injecting it into the muscles of the forehead or around the eyes.
So, that’s the off-label use of the product. An extreme example, a very extreme example, would be a neurosurgeon saying, “Hey, I heard that PDGF+ stimulates cell growth.” Well, my patient here had some brain injury. I want to stimulate their brain cells, so I’m going to take this product, and I’m going to inject it in their brain and see if they have increased brain cell growth.
So, that’s a big leap. And I just feel like at this point, the clinicians who are injecting PDGF+ for aesthetic use either truly don’t understand what the term “off-label” means or they do understand and they’re just taking these big risks with their patients. What’s happening is I’d say a majority of the time they’re having beautiful results. It’s very common to inject it under the eye area, but there have been more and more cases of reports of patients having excessive swelling, excessive redness, nodule formation and disfiguration. So for me, I don’t think that at this point it’s safe to inject when we don’t know what’s causing this and we don’t know how to correct it. So, I’m hoping that soon there will be FDA approval for aesthetic injection use.
Do You Offer PDGF+?
John: So, do you offer PDGF+ or lab-made platelet derived growth factor in your practice? And tell us a little bit more about how that works.
Dr. Roche: I do offer PDGF+. It’s a great product. I use it as a topical application after laser resurfacing or microneedling or even someone can come in and have dermaplaning or a facial and have it applied. It helps with cell rejuvenation. I’ll also use it after microneedling of the scalp and applying it topically to stimulate hair growth. And I have a patient who has patches of alopecia and he’s having amazing results with the hair growth stimulation, applying it topically.
So, it’s a great product, but I’m hoping that soon that the company will have studies and go through the process of having FDA approval with the proper formulation for aesthetic injections, the correct dosing, and an understanding of what complications can occur and why. So, I look forward to seeing this, because I think at that time it will be an amazing product to add as an injection, but at this point, I just feel comfortable applying it topically for my patients.
John: All right. Well, that’s really great information, Dr. Roche. Thanks again for speaking with me today.
Dr. Roche: Thank you for having me, John.
John: And for more information about PDGF, PDGF+ or other treatments, visit the website at elizabethrochmedspa.com or call 201-505-1020.