Stem Cell Therapy for Burn Victims – As a Fast Growing Modality of Treatment
Acquiring a burn is a common form of injury. A burn is an injury to the tissue of the body, typically the skin, varying in severity from mild to life threatening. Frequently, thermal, chemical, electrical and radiation accidents affect segments of different populations across the world resulting in third-degree burns. Additionally, there are many non-accidental incidents such as child abuse, spousal abuse, and personal disputes in general. In some cultures, burning is used as a form of domestic violence, such as bride burning in India. Burns are generally classified as; first-degree, second-degree, third-degree, and fourth-degree burns. Firstly, first-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin and cause redness, pain and swelling. Second-degree burns affect the outer and underlying layer of the skin, causing pain, redness, swelling and blistering. They are also known as partial thickness burns. Thirddegree burns affect deep layers of the skin and are known as full thickness burns. They cause white or blackened burned skin and the skin itself becomes numb due to nerve damage. Lastly, fourth-degree burns extend through entire skin and into underlying fat, muscle and bone and require immediate amputation.1
Other
Burn injuries affect large segments of populations across the world. The current standard procedure for third degree skin burns is skin grafting. Skin grafting has posed several issues including graft rejection, exposure of new wounds, susceptibility to infections, and limited availability. With the discovery that burn derived mesenchymal cells can be utilized to regenerate skin, new doors will open with regards to regenerative medicine in the context of burn wounds.
