Researchers are now one step closer to being able to use skin
tissue derived from stem cells for the treatment of burn
victims, according to a study published November 21 in The
Lancet. By tweaking the way the cells are grown in a Petri dish,
a team of scientists at the Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and
Exploration of Monogenic Diseases near Paris, France, was able
to coax human embryonic stem cells into becoming multilayered
skin tissue. The group also grafted the human stem cell-derived
skin onto the backs of five mice. The foreign tissue grew well
for at least 12 weeks, suggesting that it could at least be a
safe temporary solution until skin tissue from a patient’s body,
aka autologous graft tissue, is ready. The typical treatment for
burns involves collecting skin stem cells present in the lower,
or basal, layer of skin, and growing enough of them in the lab
to cover the area damaged by a burn. The process takes at least
three weeks. In the meantime, patients usually receive either
cadaver skin or a se