The Stem Cell Skin Gun Shows Promising Results for Burn Victims

A new treatment for severe burn victims is showing very promising results. Called "the stem cell skin gun," this miraculous device allows doctors to heal severe 2^nd degree burns in a matter of days with minimal complications, versus what was previously a highly painful process of several months which many patients didn't survive due to higher chances of infection.

According to the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan's Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which the stem cell skin gun's creator, Joerg Gerlach is a faculty member of, the process begins when a 2^nd degree burn victim enters the emergency room with large amounts of missing skin (2011). A skin sample is taken of the patient's healthy skin and stem cells are isolated from this sample. The stem cells are then sprayed onto the burned area much like an artist uses an airbrush (McGowan, 2011).

With the new, stem cell skin gun method, the burned area can begin to heal immediately, versus the current method of harvesting cells and then 'growing' new skin in a lab for several weeks to be applied to the burned area later. The current method takes several weeks to begin the healing process, is very painful, and due to blisters that form under the artificially grown skin, can often still result in disfigurement and infection (McGowan, 2011). The stem cell skin gun, by getting to work immediately, removes this potential complication.

While healing begins immediately and initial healing is completed within a couple of weeks, Lorianna De Giorgio of Toronto's Star reports that it can still take several months for skin color and texture to return to normal (2011). However, this is to be expected as the regenerated skin is newer than the surrounding skin, just as one would expect in the standard treatment of skin grafting. The advantage though, is that the new skin should meld seamlessly with the existing, as opposed to skin grafts which may have visible seams.

One of the first U.S. recipients of this treatment, Pennsylvania State Police officer Matthew Urum, after having his face and arm treated for severe 2^nd degree burns is almost back to normal now, with no pain or tightness, and a slight discoloration around his neck from the newer skin (De Giorgio, 2011).

Still in clinical trials, this treatment is highly expected to become the standard for 2^nd degree burn treatment once it is approved for industry-wide application, and will potentially be used in treating more severe 3^rd degree burns. But for burn victims, who previously faced months and sometimes years of therapy and surgeries, the stem cell skin gun is definitely welcome news.

Sources:

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. (2011). Burn Therapy: A Regenerative Medicine Approach.
De Giorgio, Lorianna. (2011). Skin Gun That Sprays Stem Cells Being Used on Burn Victims. The Star.