Artificial skin successfully constructed using stem cells

25/04/2018

Skin grafts are common practice for burn victims. They are conducted by taking a large patch of skin from other parts of a patient’s body (usually thigh) that has not been burnt, and then the grafted skin is placed over the burn.

Tens of thousands of skin graft procedures are performed each year; for burn victims, cosmetic surgery patients, and for people who have large wounds which are difficult to heal.

This procedure is often painful for a patient and is a process that can take weeks to conduct and then properly heal.

A new method of stem cell treatment marks an advancement in the world of wound healing, the new treatment uses MSC stem cell therapy which can be used as an alternative to skin grafts.

This new stem cell therapy can create new skin more quickly than natural skin growth and also can be stored, so it can be ready to use as and when it is needed.

It has been discovered that stem cell therapy can create new skin more quickly than natural skin growth

The procedure requires treatment with Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells. Wharton’s jelly is gelatinous tissue in the umbilical cord that contains uncommitted mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The same stem cells that are found in teeth and bone marrow.

The results were published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine by lead author Ingrid Garzón from the University of Granada’s Department of Histology.

The MSC stem cells following this are combined with agarose (a polysaccharide polymer) and fibrin (the fibrous protein that aids in blood clotting).

The researchers who conducted the study are very pleased to have found two new uses for the stem cells of Wharton’s jelly, which have not previously been researched for epithelial applications.

When the epithelial tissue has formed, it is possible for the researchers to store it in tissue banks. This can be here as a precaution, so if someone has to be brought to hospital following a burn or an accident, there are reserves there to place on a patient’s burn immediately, rather than having to wait a long period of time for treatment.

Protect Their Future Health

We believe the best stem cells to use in emerging treatments will be the patient’s own stem cells as this doesn’t require a search for a suitable donor and in turn, eliminates chances of the transplanted cells being rejected.

If you want more information on how you can protect your child’s future health by banking their cells, get in touch with our friendly team today or order your free information pack.