Researchers in the United States have discovered how some important stem cells react after a severe burn. The finding may help them develop a new stem cell therapy that can regenerate muscle tissue in patients with severe burns. Details of this groundbreaking new study were published in The Journal of Physiology.
The research, carried out at the University of Texas Medical Branch, gives scientists hope that they can help burns patients quickly recover muscle function. When a person has a severe burn injury, it can destroy muscle tissue. However, the researchers discovered that suffering a severe burn also activates some stem cells and encourages them to repair the damage.
The stem cells “activated” after a severe burn include satellite cells, the resident stem cell in skeletal muscle cells. Satellite cells play a key role in regenerating muscle tissue after a significant injury like a burn.
The researchers were interested in discovering how satellite cells activate and react to a traumatic burn injury. They collected muscle tissue samples from 12 healthy individuals and 12 individuals who had suffered a burn injury.
The samples were then compared using immunohistochemical techniques to determine what signals were being sent to satellite cells, how many satellite cells had activated, and what they were doing. Researchers also looked at muscle fibre regeneration in the tissue samples.
They found that burn patients had different signals being sent to satellite cells. They had one signal that induced cell death and another that encouraged muscle regeneration.
One of the authors of the paper Dr. Christopher S. Fry, explains: “We found a very high amount of the marker protein Ki67, which indicates that the burn injury activates satellite cells and thus stimulates skeletal muscle regeneration.”
The finding will help researchers develop a stem cell therapy that changes the singling sent to cells and encourages satellite cells to repair muscular damage.
Source: Stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for severe burns patients
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