In a unique treatment for second-degree burns, surgeons harvest a small number of skin cells through a skin biopsy, suspend them in solution, and then spray the resulting mixture onto a burn wound. Once in place, skin stem cells, called basal cells, proliferate to create a new layer of skin.
The spray, already approved for use in some countries, has garnered interest from the United States Army, whose Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine is funding a trial.
The technology, developed by Australian surgeon Fiona Wood, relies on cells, such as skin progenitor cells and the color-imparting melanocytes, that are most concentrated at the junction between the skin’s top two layers. With a small step-by-step kit dubbed ReCell, surgeons can harvest, process and apply these cells to treat a burn as large as 50 square inches.
Product uses
This procedure is often used to repair defects in the skin which are quite large, such as burns, scalds, scarring (e.g., surgical scars from skin grafts), hypopigmentation (patchy white areas of skin), such as those produced by vitiligo.
It has also been used by some physicians to assist in speeding up the healing process of wounds created by cosmetic treatments such as ablative laser resurfacing, dermabrasion or deep chemical peels.
Costs
This will depend very much on the size of the area and indication being treated, as well as the preparation techniques used.
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