JOURNAL READING

Title of the Journal Article: Efficacy of stem cell therapy for burn wounds: a systematic review
and meta-analysis of preclinical studies
Date Published: July 29, 2020
Authors: Yuan Li, Wei-dong Xia, Leanne Van der Merwe, Wen-tong Dai & Cai Lin

Summary:
Burns remain a serious public health problem with high morbidity and mortality rates
worldwide. Although there are various treatment options available, there is no consensus on the
best treatment for severe burns as of yet. Stem cell therapy has a bright prospect in many
preclinical studies of burn wounds. This systematic review was performed for these preclinical
studies to assess the efficacy and possible mechanisms of stem cells in treating burn wounds.
Twenty-two studies with 595 animals were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Web of
Science, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to May 13, 2020. In addition, a manual
search of references of studies was performed to obtain potential studies. No language or time
restrictions were enforced. RevMan 5.3 was used for all data analysis. This overall meta-
analysis showed that stem cell therapy significantly improved burn healing rate, irrespective of
transplant type, burn area, and treatment method in the control group. Subgroup analyses
indicated that hair follicle stem cells seemed to exert more beneficial effects on animals with
burn wounds compared with other stem cells. Furthermore, stem cell therapy seemed to exert
more beneficial effects on burn wounds with second-degree compared with third-degree. Meta-
analysis showed that stem cell therapy exerts a healing function for burn wounds, mainly
through angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory actions. These findings also demonstrate the need
for considering variations in future clinical studies using stem cells to treat a burn wound in order
to maximize the effectiveness. In general, stem cells can potentially become a novel therapy
candidate for burn wounds.

Reaction:
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 300,000 deaths occur annually,
worldwide, from burns. Burns are an under-researched global health issue especially in low and
middle-income countries like the Philippines. Unlike other countries, majority of burn injuries
occur in our country and burn statistics are lacking along with primary research regarding burn
etiology and treatment. Although the skin has the ability to heal itself, severe burns require a
variety of interventions, such as healing medications, debridement, and skin grafts. However, for
severe burns, skin grafts can cause harmful psychological effects and severe disfigurement of
the donor’s skin. Furthermore, the formation of scar and contracture will lead to decrease of joint
activity, and even the loss of function. Therefore, more effective and better treatment options
are needed to treat burn wounds which makes this study even more relevant. It is one of our
greatest responsibilities as future professional nurses and health care providers to discover new
and improved interventions to provide the best possible care and treatment for our patients and
through this article, I was able to learn more about one of the emerging methods which could
recommend and offer better opportunities for the treatment of burn wounds known as the stem
cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is a potential treatment for burns because of its ability to repair or
even replace damaged tissues or organs in the body which offers new possibilities for
regenerative medicine. In addition, stem cells are abundant in origin and can be isolated from
adipose tissue, umbilical cord, embryo, bone, gingiva, and other tissues which makes them
even more useful and accessible for treatment. In conclusion, through this study about burns, a
new approach paves the way for increasing the understanding and knowledge of the disease
process which lays a foundation for future clinical trials to expound and develop what has been
discovered about stem cell therapy as a treatment option. I’m also hoping that more efforts will
be made in the future to prevent burn injuries and improve knowledge of burn treatment in the
Philippines.

References:
Li, Y., Xia, W., Van der Merwe, L., Dai, W. & Lin, C. (2020). Efficacy of stem cell therapy for
burn wounds: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies. Stem Cell
Res Ther 11, 322. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-020-01839-9.
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences. (2018). The Treatment of Burns Injuries in the Philippines.
Retrieved from http://www.triplebcareprojects.org/uploads/1/1/8/0/118015594/the_
treatment_of_burns_injuries_in_the_philippines_2018.pdf