TheLINE
Aging is not a problem of the cells
but of the environment that surrounds them
Autologous ECM Skin Booster
Your skin breaks down not because of a problem with the cells, but because of a problem with the environment around them. TheLINE restores that environment with autologous ECM extracted from your own fat. No surgery, no foreign material.
What Is ECM Extracellular Matrix
The autologous ECM skin booster revives the environment your cells live in, using ECM extracted from your own fat.
It is the three-dimensional biological structure that surrounds and supports cells. Collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and reservoirs of growth factors are intricately interwoven within it, making it the foundation of every regenerative treatment.
As this structure loosens with age, the skin loses elasticity and volume and wrinkles deepen. It is not a problem with the cells themselves, but with the environment that surrounds them.
It is a skin booster treatment that restores that environment using your own ECM extracted from your fat. There is no incisional surgery and no foreign material, only tissue from your own body.
The autologous ECM skin booster is applied to under-eye hollows and dark circles, early to moderate nasolabial folds, and an overall loss of skin elasticity. It is injected precisely into the target areas.
ECM first restores the biological environment in which cells can revive on their own. Combined with stem cell rich SVF therapy, the two can therefore be expected to work synergistically and enhance each other.
ECM Key Components
It contains a complex of biological signaling substances that a simple filler does not have.
Tensile
Collagen I·III·V·VI. The core protein that forms the physical support structure of the skin. It is the foundation for volume restoration and improved elasticity.
Elasticity
Elastin. Responsible for the springiness that lets skin stretch and return. It is the first component lost to aging.
Moisture · volume
Hyaluronic Acid. It holds up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. Because it comes from your own body rather than an external source, it behaves differently in how long it lasts.
Attachment
Laminin · Fibronectin. Cell adhesion proteins that help new cells migrate into the ECM structure and settle there.
Matrix-bound factors
bFGF · VEGF · IGF-1. Stored in a matrix-bound form within the ECM and released gradually as cells require them. Their duration differs from that of a simple injection.
Signal · structure
Proteoglycans · GAGs. Glycoprotein complexes that regulate cell signaling and keep the 3D mesh structure of the ECM stable.
ECM Mechanism Of Action
Not simply filling or stimulating, but a three-step biological response.
STEP 01 · Physical Scaffolding
The injected ECM forms a three-dimensional support structure within the skin and physically props up hollowed areas. This creates a scaffold for new cells to move in and settle.
STEP 02 · Dynamic Reciprocity
Signaling substances within the ECM interact with cell receptors, prompting cells to migrate and divide. Neocollagenesis takes place and the tissue gradually regains its own regenerative capacity.
STEP 03 · Immune Modulation & Remodeling
M1 inflammatory macrophages shift toward M2 regenerative macrophages, and the skin remodels itself without excessive inflammation. As tissue homeostasis is restored, regeneration continues.
ECM Skinbooster Indications
If you want discreet anti-aging care without surgery or foreign material, take a look.
Hollowing caused by atrophy of the under-eye fat pad is filled with autologous ECM instead of filler. Because the tissue comes from your own body, the sense of a foreign material is minimal.
While the folds are still shallow, structural volume restoration and skin regeneration occur together, so the folds improve gradually.
This is not simple hydration; it restores the density and elasticity of the skin tissue itself. Neocollagenesis is induced, so improvement builds slowly over several months.
If you are concerned about foreign material building up or expressions looking unnatural, autologous ECM offers an alternative that uses your own tissue, tailored to your face.
When ECM first creates the niche where stem cells can reside, both the engraftment rate and the differentiation efficiency of SVF rise together.
ECM Vs SVF Vs Integrated Protocol
TheLINE designs the optimal path according to your goals and circumstances.
| Category | OPTION A · ECM only | OPTION B · SVF only | Integrated ECM + SVF · Recommended by TheLINE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept | ECM Monotherapy. Only the autologous extracellular matrix isolated from fat is injected. | SVF Monotherapy. TheLINE's core regenerative medicine treatment, injecting the stem cell rich stromal vascular fraction (SVF). | Integrated Protocol. ECM first forms the niche, and SVF settles into it. |
| Key action | Natural autologous regenerative filler · Tissue remodeling | Multipotent differentiation · Angiogenesis · Anti-inflammatory action | SVF differentiates within the 3D environment created by ECM · A proprietary protocol of TheLINE Stem Cell Research Institute |
| Components | Collagen · Elastin · Hyaluronic acid · Matrix-bound growth factors | ADSCs (adipose-derived stem cells) · Vascular endothelial cells and pericytes · Immunomodulatory cells · bFGF, VEGF, IGF-1 | During liposuction, SVF and AD-ECM are extracted at the same time and used together. |
| Expected effects | Volume restoration and sustained skin regeneration | Skin regeneration · Angiogenesis · Anti-inflammatory action | Improved engraftment and differentiation efficiency of SVF; growth factors assist ECM remodeling to speed up recovery, and a virtuous cycle of cellular activity keeps tissue regeneration going for several months. |
| Recommended for | Under-eye hollows · Nasolabial folds · Loss of skin elasticity | Those who want skin regeneration and anti-aging together | Those who want cell therapy and ECM restoration together from a single fat harvest |
ECM x SVF Synergy
ECM builds the three-dimensional environment where stem cells can settle, and within it SVF interacts with matrix-bound growth factors as it differentiates.
This is TheLINE's integrated regenerative protocol: SVF and AD-ECM are extracted at the same time during liposuction, so cell therapy and ECM restoration are carried out together in a single procedure.
Autologous AD-ECM Or Processed ECM
We do not apply the same method to everyone. Our specialists design the plan around your body fat level and your goals.
Pure ECM isolated from your own adipose tissue after harvesting a small amount of fat. Because it carries your own biological information, the burden of a foreign-body reaction is low, and a single harvest can be cryopreserved and used repeatedly. Fully autologous · Long-term cryopreservation (-196 degrees Celsius) · Multiple sessions from one harvest · Contains ADSCs · SVF (stromal vascular fraction) can be extracted alongside
An alternative for those for whom harvesting their own fat is difficult, or who prefer a simpler procedure. High-quality processed ECM products such as Adittee and Ritu-O are used. Possible regardless of body fat level · No additional harvesting procedure required · Can be used alongside autologous ECM · A simpler protocol
ECM Treatment Process
Four stages: consultation, harvesting, purification, injection, aftercare.
ECM Treatment Information
Check the procedure time, anesthesia and recovery period in advance.
Why TheLINE Stem Cell Lab
ECM extraction, purification and verification, all done in-house.
TheLINE Stem Cell Research Institute
As an affiliated institute operated directly by TheLINE Plastic Surgery, it carries out the entire process of ECM extraction, purification and quality control inside the clinic. Nothing is outsourced, every step is managed in-house, and research connects to clinical practice in real time. The institute has internalized the AD-ECM extraction and purification protocol, operates its own SVF (stromal vascular fraction) cell isolation system, maintains cryopreservation infrastructure for autologous ECM, and runs verification systems for ADSC activity and ECM quality.
Integrated Regenerative Protocol
We do not stop at a simple ECM injection. The plan is designed as an integrated regenerative protocol combined with stem cell rich SVF and ADSCs, so that cells settle into the three-dimensional environment the ECM has created. Extracting SVF and AD-ECM simultaneously during liposuction is where it begins.
Cryopreservation
Autologous ECM obtained from a single fat harvest is kept in cryogenic storage and thawed for reuse whenever it is needed. There is no need to harvest fat again for an additional session.
Personalized Design
Depending on body fat level, indications and goals, we combine autologous AD-ECM with Adittee and Ritu-O and design the plan individually. The same protocol is not applied to everyone.
The Line Plastic Surgery · Medical Director
TheLINE Plastic Surgery has studied fat and SVF for 19 years since 2007 and has built up clinical experience across 80,000 body contouring cases. We have integrated the principles of regenerative medicine into clinical practice, developing and applying an integrated treatment protocol combining AD-ECM with stem cell rich SVF, and we operate our stem cell research institute directly on site.
TheLINE AD-ECM Regenerative Medicine
Aging is not a problem of the cells but of the environment. Restore your ECM at TheLINE.
Autologous AD-ECM
Rather than packing in foreign material, we restore the place where cells live. No incisional surgery, only ECM obtained from your own fat.
Recognized as a dedicated SVF research and development department by the Ministry of Science and ICT in 2023
80,000 cases devoted solely to fat and SVF
Additional sessions possible thanks to cryogenic storage at -196 degrees Celsius
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4-6F, 65 Garosu-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
※ For revision surgery, please also select the 'Revision' option.
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