Miss Anderson tasty is famous for its synthetic look

Women have grown their own breast implants through pioneering stem cell treatment, it was revealed yesterday.

Scientists from the harvest of stem cells from the women’s own fat and encouraged them to form breast tissue.

They say that the result gives a more natural that many of the synthetic implants used by entertainment stars such as Pamela Anderson.

The Japanese teams have carried out tests on dozens of women and say they have not had any problems.

They say that treatment is available from plastic surgeons within five years.

British surgeons said yesterday they are convinced by the technique and found it “attractive”.

Stem cells can become different tissues in the body and this technique involves taking fat.

Dr. Kotaro Yoshimura of the University of Tokyo and his team then mix these with general fat cells and injected back into patients breasts.

The hope is the stem cells will lead to the formation of new fat cells and coax blood vessels to grow into new breast tissue and nurture it.

The technique was first used in 2004 and since another 38 women have been treated without any major side effects.

The long-term effectiveness has not yet been fully demonstrated, however, and more tests are needed.

So far, the technique can increase the size of the breast only half as much as synthetic implants, and thin patients, may not have enough fat to spare.

However Dr Yoshimura believes the effect is more natural-looking and should avoid problems such as leaks that occurred with older silicone implants.

Doctors can already use fat to create “natural implants”, but may reduce over time due to lack of blood supply.

The new technique aims to overcome this problem.

Dr Yoshimura said: “I believe that within five years my procedure will be available as plastic surgery and is going to be very popular.”

Similar work is being carried out in the U.S. Dr Jeremy Mao told the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington in 2005 that the use of stem cells may eliminate the need for additional surgery and produce long-term and more shapely implants.

In their tests, scientists at the University of Illinois turned stem cells into fatproducing, or adipose, cells which were put into plastic molds to create different shapes and sizes of implants.

These were cultured in the laboratory and then placed under the skin of laboratory mice.

They were removed four weeks later and found to still be the same shape and size.

Some British plastic surgeons have expressed an interest in using the new technique.

Venkat Ramakrishnan, a specialist in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust said: “I am convinced recently.

“A lot more people have to use it and test it, but it seems to have something to it.”

Eva Weller-Mithoff, a consultant at Canniesburn Hospital in Glasgow, said the technique could be especially beneficial for patients with cancer who have a mastectomy.

“The most distressing effect of radiotherapy is that the blood vessels shrivel up,” he said. “Stem cells can differentiate into new blood vessels that could mean that more fat cells will survive.”