Stem cells in burn wound healing: A systematic review of the literature. Issue 5 (August 2019) - Ahmadi, Ali R.
Highlights: Partial- and full-thickness burns cause significant skin defects. Stem cell therapy is emerging as a possible therapeutic option. Animal studies show overall positive effects of stem cells on burn wound healing. Human studies demonstrate encouraging outcomes, but are limited in number. Stem cell therapy appears as a promising adjunct therapy in burns. Abstract: Introduction: Severe burns are often associated with high morbidity and unsatisfactory functional and esthetic outcomes. Over the last two decades, stem cells have generated great hopes for the treatment of numerous conditions including burns. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the role of stem cell therapy as a means to promote burn wound healing. Methods: Comprehensive searches in major databases were carried out in March 2017 for articles on stem cell therapy in burn wound healing. In total 2103 articles were identified and screened on the basis of pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Fifteen experimental and two clinical studies were included in the review. The majority of studies reported significant improvement in macroscopic burn wound appearance as well as a trend toward improved microscopic appearance, after stem cell therapy. Other parameters evaluated, such as re-vascularization, collagen formation, level of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, apoptosis and cellular infiltrates, yielded heterogeneous results across studies. Conclusion: Stem cell therapy appears to exert a positive effect in burn wound healing. There is, therefore, justification for continued efforts to evaluate the use of stem cells as an adjunct to first-line therapies in burns.