Stem Cell for Burns Treatment

Burn injuries trigger significant physiological responses in the body, causing pain, a prolonged recovery process, and visible scarring. In recent years, advanced medical approaches have offered new hope for recovery. One of them—stem cell burn treatment—supports healing by improving skin repair and enhancing tissue regeneration. It helps reduce scarring and discomfort, particularly for patients who haven’t benefited from conventional methods.

How can stem cells be used to treat burn victims, and can they truly transform the recovery journey? This article explores these questions to help you determine whether stem cell burn treatment could be a potential solution for you.

What Are Burns and Their Impact on Skin Health

Before answering the question, “How are stem cells used to treat burns?” it’s important to first understand the different types of burns.

Burns are the injuries caused to the skin by heat, cold, electrical, chemical action, or even radiation. They can be classified by the severity and by the depth to which they penetrate the skin.

First-degree burns

The injury affects only the outer layer of the skin, which is called the epidermis. Symptoms include redness, tenderness, and dryness of the skin without blisters. Mild sunburn is the most common example of this kind of burn. These burns generally heal within 5 to 10 days and usually without scarring.

Second-degree burns

These burns involve both the epidermis and part of the dermis, which results in blistering, swelling, and pain. The skin may appear red and shiny. Healing usually takes 2 to 3 weeks with minimal scarring.

Third-degree burns

This is a burn through the epidermis and dermis and into subcutaneous tissue. The skin may appear white, blackened, or even charred and often has no sensation due to nerve destruction. Such medical treatment may require hospitalization. Because of tissue death, scars form over burns.

Fourth-degree burns

They burn through all layers of skin and extend into muscle and bone. They are possibly life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. 

Burns may impact the health of the skin: 

• Burns, especially second- and third-degree burns, may lead to scarring. 
• Burns make a person more vulnerable to infection because the skin barrier has been damaged.
• Burns may cause a permanent discolored burn effect, marked by hyper- as well as hypopigmentation of the skin. 
• Contractures usually develop after severe burn injuries, causing the skin to tighten and limiting movement.

How Are Stem Cells Used to Treat Burns: The Science Behind Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy improves the wound-healing process, offering greater benefits for patients with severe burns. But how do stem cells treat burns?

• Most of the therapeutic effects of stem cell burn treatment involve the release of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines responsible for facilitating tissue repair and regeneration.
• Stem cells activate key pathways like PI3/AKT, WNT-β catenin, TGF-β, Notch, and Hedgehog, which play essential roles in wound and skin stem cell healing for burn victims by reducing inflammation and promoting angiogenesis.

The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained much interest in their effective tissue repair capabilities. Their sources include bone marrow, fat tissues, placenta, and the umbilical cord. They enhance burn wound healing through promotion of vascularization and lessening inflammation and fibrosis.

Other cell-free therapies gaining attention include exosomes derived from stem cells. These products contain biomolecules that facilitate wound healing.

Key Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Burn Recovery

• The use of stem cell burn treatment promotes wound healing by enhancing angiogenesis, collagen production, and improving the quality of granulation tissue.
• They downregulate the inflammatory response and hence reduce fibrosis, thus offering less hypertrophic scarring and keloids.
• Skin appendages, including hair follicles and sebaceous glands, may also be regenerated with the aid of stem cells, further improving the quality of the healed skin.

Types of Burns Benefiting from Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cells help accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation, and improve scar outcomes. But could stem cells cure burns? Let’s find out.

• Severe burns: These include burns that extended through all the skin layers and into deeper tissues with heavy destruction. Stem cell treatment for burns has given great hope for enhancing wound healing, reducing inflammation, and improving scar outcomes in severe cases.
• Non-healing wounds: Using stem cell therapy for burn treatment contributes to the management of non-healing chronic wounds through the promotion of tissue regeneration and modulation of inflammation.
• Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome (CRS): This has been thought of as one of the treatments of radiation burns, serious injury to skin tissues caused. MSCs may enhance vascularization in such cases.

Get a free online consultation

Contact us to learn about the expected results of the treatment, its cost and duration.

Dr. Aleksandra Fetyukhina, MD

Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor

Your Name Please fill out this field Phone Please fill out this field E-mail Please fill out this field

I agree to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Notice Swiss Medica

Preparing for Stem Cell Burn Treatment: What to Know

Preparation for stem cell burn treatment usually involves:

• Medical consultation and screening, 
• Selection of a source of stem cells, 
• Proper modes of administration.

A thorough evaluation includes checking the burn’s depth and size, along with any potential complications from the injury.

It’s important for patients to choose a reliable clinic and fully understand the process, including the treatment steps, associated costs, and any potential risks, to make an informed decision.

How Do I Choose a Reliable Clinic for Stem Cell Burn Treatment?

How can stem cells be used to treat burns? The success of the treatment largely depends on the clinic. Selecting a clinic with extensive experience, diverse treatment options, high success rates, and strict adherence to safety standards ensures the best quality care.

1. Choosing Swiss Medica means prioritizing your healing and well-being. We offer a no-obligation consultation to address all your questions and concerns before treatment:

• how can stem cells help burn victims?
• can stem cell treatments be used to treat severe burns? 
• how do stem cells treat burns?
• etc.

2. Swiss Medica has extensive experience in using stem cells, and burn victims can benefit from this expertise. Our experts in stem cell treatments create programs of treatment based on clients’ needs, employing the newest methods that accelerate skin regeneration, reduce scarring, and quicken recovery.

3. Our modern hospital and clinic, located just 15 minutes from Belgrade Airport, provide a welcoming and supportive setting for your care. 

4. Our package for burn therapy with stem cells is all-inclusive, covering the treatment, exosome therapy, accommodation, and procedure-related costs to keep your visit as hassle-free as possible.

5. After stem cell treatment, our dedicated team stays in touch to track your progress and support your long-term recovery. 

Our clinic and hospital in Serbia are equipped with modern facilities, ensuring the highest level of care for our patients. Both locations feature advanced medical equipment and an in-house laboratory, allowing for efficient diagnosis and treatment. 

How Stem Cell Therapy Works: The Process Explained

In top-tier clinics, the treatment process is meticulously customized to each patient’s specific condition. Typically, the therapy involves the following steps: 

1. Doctors assess the patient before the stem cell burn treatment to get a clear picture of the case history and the current health status. It helps to ensure the feasibility of a patient for this treatment and what type of stem cells should be used.

2. There are different sources from which stem cells can be derived:

• If autologous stem cells are utilized, then the patient may undergo a procedure to harvest the cells.
• In the case of allogenic stem cells, doctors use cells extracted from a donor.

3. The collected stem cells are processed in the lab to separate and concentrate them. Techniques of filtering and centrifugation help get a high concentration of cells.

4. Then the doctor administers prepared stem cells to the patient through a method suitable for the patient.

5. After the stem cell treatment for burns, doctors monitor patients for side effects and treatment progress.

Cost and Availability of Stem Cell Therapy for Burns

Exploring new treatment methods often raises concerns related to costs and travel to the clinic. The cost of treatment with stem cells for burns ranges from approximately $5,000 to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the kind of treatment.

The cost of burned skin treatment by stem cells also depends on the geographical location, reputation, and expertise of the clinic and specialists involved.

• Therapies using stem cells for burn victims are primarily available in clinics specializing in regenerative medicine.
• Some countries, like the United States, may have higher prices for stem cell treatment. However, other countries, such as Serbia, have more available options. Swiss Medica, for example, offers stem cell treatment for €7,000 to €31,000*, depending on the patient’s treatment plan and additional procedures.

Success Stories: Real Cases of Burn Recovery Using Stem Cells

Success stories of using stem cells and burn victims improving their condition illustrate the potential of better healing with less scarring. With continuing studies, it is possible that the role of stem cells in the treatment of serious burns will be greatly improved and enhance patient recovery.

In one clinical trial, allogeneic MSCs were applied topically or injected under a transparent film dressing in patients with deep second-degree burns. As a result, there were significant improvements in wound healing, with complete wound closure in all patients within a few weeks and no major adverse events.

Are There Any Risks Associated With Stem Cell Therapy for Burns?

How can stem cells be used to treat burns without serious side effects? Stem cell therapy for burns is considered safe, but being a medical intervention, it has some minor side effects. Patients may experience the redness, swelling, or discomfort at the site of injection for a short period. One can minimize the risks when choosing a reputable clinic and experienced specialists who can safely perform the procedure.

Embryonic stem cells and skin burns treatment are incompatible, raising significant ethical concerns and potential risks. Unlike mesenchymal stem cells, which are ethically sourced and well-tolerated by the body, embryonic cells pose challenges that limit their application in burn therapies.

Comparing Stem Cell Therapy with Traditional Burn Treatments

Traditional treatments of burns usually include cleaning the wound, debridement, application of topical antibiotics, and regular changes of dressings to avoid infection and ensure healing. These are well-understood and widely available treatments. They have very defined indications for their use and tend to be considerably less expensive in comparison to the stem cell therapies. However, these may result in slower healing with more scarring, whereas stem cells for burn victims offer the possibility of quicker healing with less scarring.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stem Cell Burn Treatment

Send a request

Contact us to learn about the expected results of the treatment, its cost and duration.

Dr. Aleksandra Fetyukhina, MD

Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor

Your Name Please fill out this field Phone Please fill out this field E-mail Please fill out this field

I agree to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Notice Swiss Medica

Dr. Aleksandra Fetyukhina, MD Author

Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor

Dr. Aleksandra Fetyukhina, MD Reviewer

Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor