Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, has called for a government body to investigate whether "aesthetic fillers" used in cosmetic surgery clinics could transmit variant vCJD the human form of “mad cow” disease or other infections to patients.
Tsar Harry Cayton, who chairs the Expert Group on the Regulation of Cosmetic Surgery said “raised concerns about injections administered to raise cheek bones or otherwise improve the appearance of the face. Some are synthetic but others might contain human tissue or tissue from animals or birds”.
The report said that biodegradable fillers had a good record, but that "semi-permanent and permanent fillers have been reported to produce significant, longer-term inflammatory reactions in the skin, leading to discomfort, scarring and disfigurement".