New 'skin gun' treats burns with stem cells

Feb 4 2011

A revolutionary new "skin gun" developed to treat burns could be the latest in a remarkable string of stem-cell breakthroughs poised to change the face of medicine, says Emerging Healthcare Solutions (PinkSheets:EHSI) President and CEO Cindy Morrissey.

“The pent-up demand for stem cell treatments ensures that the regenerative medical industry will grow by leaps and bounds for decades to come with innovations that have the power to change lives.”

On Wednesday, a video excerpt from an upcoming episode of National Geographic Channel's Explorer surfaced on the Web detailing the work of Dr. Jörg C. Gerlach and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Gerlach has developed a "skin gun" that sprays a burn victim's own stem cells on to his or her damaged skin. The process is still experimental, but Gerlach says a dozen people have been treated using the procedure. Each patient experienced rapid healing of severe burns in only a few days.

The skin gun looks and works similar to an artist's airbrush, and sprays a solution of the patient's adult stem cells in water. If clinical trials prove successful, the skin gun could represent an incredible breakthrough in burn treatment, helping to shape the future of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine.

"With so many new breakthroughs, it's clear that stem cell therapies will be the future of medicine," Morrissey said. "The pent-up demand for stem cell treatments ensures that the regenerative medical industry will grow by leaps and bounds for decades to come with innovations that have the power to change lives."

Last December, EHSI announced its acquisition of Panamanian biotech firm Celulas Genetica, a Central American leader in stem-cell technology acquisition and development. Soon after, the company announced that Celulas Genetica submitted an international patent application for the Rutherford Procedure, a revolutionary new stem-cell treatment for liver disease. Celulas Genetica licensed the procedure from a Chinese firm, BBFITCL, and plans to conduct the treatment's clinical trials in China, as well.

The Rutherford Procedure is being developed to use proton therapy to destroy scar-tissue cells in the liver using high-energy proton beams, a non-invasive treatment proven to minimize damage to healthy tissues and to eliminate the side effects (including nausea) of traditional radiation therapy.

As the scar tissue is systematically destroyed by the proton therapy, a catheter will deliver the patient's own cultured stem cells directly to the patient's liver through the bloodstream. As more and more diseased tissue is destroyed, these cultured stem cells could help regenerate the patient's damaged, cirrhotic liver into a healthy, functioning organ once more.