Li Y, Xia WD, Van der Merwe L, Dai WT, Lin C, et al.
Stem cell research & therapy. Date of publication 2020 Jul 29;volume 11(1):322.
1. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020 Jul 29;11(1):322. doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-01839-9.
Efficacy of stem cell therapy for burn wounds: a systematic review and
meta-analysis of preclinical studies.
Li Y(1), Xia WD(1), Van der Merwe L(2), Dai WT(1), Lin C(3).
Author information:
(1)Department of Burn, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical
University, Nan Bai Xiang, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
(2)School of International Studies, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou,
Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
(3)Department of Burn, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical
University, Nan Bai Xiang, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
13025092850@163.com.
BACKGROUND: 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. The systematic review was performed for these preclinical studies to
assess the efficacy and possible mechanisms of stem cells in treating burn
wounds.
METHODS: Twenty-two studies with 595 animals were identified by searching PubMed,
EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to 13 May
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.
RESULTS: The overall meta-analysis showed that stem cell therapy significantly
improved burn healing rate (SMD 3.06, 95% CI 1.98 to 4.14), 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 (SMD 7.53, 95% CI 3.11 to 11.95) compared
with other stem cells. Furthermore, stem cell therapy seemed to exert more
beneficial effects on burn wounds with second-degree (SMD 7.53, 95% CI 3.11 to
11.95) compared with third-degree (SMD 2.65, 95% CI 1.31 to 4.00).
CONCLUSIONS: 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.
DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01839-9
PMCID: PMC7389817
PMID: 32727568
