A study published in The Lancet shows that human embryonic cells can be utilized to create skin grafts for people who have been seriously burnt.

Patients, however, have benefited from cell therapy fro the last 20 years now but the techniques have had their limitations says Hind Guenou, PhD, INSERM and the Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases in Evry Cedex, France, and Colleagues.

One of the many techniques uses a patient’s own skin cells or keratinocytes and grows them in a laboratory to replace damaged skin, say the researchers.

The limitation of this method is the amount of time it takes to grow sufficient cells, which is three weeks. The patients are put at risk of dehydration and infection.

The researchers also wrote that in some cases specially processed skin is used from a deceased donor to cover up the wounds but the availability is limited. The tissue is also rejected by the patient most of the times.

The team said that they were able to grow a population of cells which showed the characteristics of the epidermis.

Dr Christine Baldeschi, from the Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases in Evry, France, who led the research, said the results were promising.

A human trial of the new technique is now being planned by the researchers.