The Skin Gun: New and Amazing Uses for Stem Cells

Posted February 2, 2011 11:53am by HVvids

Tags: james bond, Jörg C. Gerlach, NatGeo Channel, National Geographic, Skin Grafts, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cells, The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, The Skin Gun

Putting the blasphemy and eternity of damnation to the side, you have to admit stem cells can do some pretty cool things. They’re not the panacea that some folks make them out to be, but they’re slightly more effective than praying for God to heal you—sorry, had to sneak that one in there.

Stem cell treatments have the potential to revolutionize the way we currently deal with human sickness of all kinds and severity. And those suffering from everything from the Big C to Dia-beet-us could stand to benefit. But while those treatments are still years away, scientists are currently using stem cells to rapidly repair severely damaged skin without skin grafts or any other archaic slice-and-dice method.

Jörg C. Gerlach and his colleagues at The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine have pioneered a new method for regenerating severely burned skin: The Skin Gun. Yes, it sounds like a Q-turned-perv James Bond weapon gone awry, but this is the real deal.

Check out how scientists are using this new technology and patients’ own stem cells to make treating first-degree burns easier than slapping a Band-aid on a paper cut.

This segment airs on National Geographic on Monday night as part of “How to Build a Beating Heart.”

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Posted February 2, 2011 11:53am

http://twitter.com/wannabe_genius WG
Why waste your time praying to god to heal you, when he’s already given us the brainpower to solve your problems?
Fucking awesome.
Patrick
Very Cool! Whatever people’s/church’s/religion’s view on the religious/moral question of embryonic stem cells at least we all agree on Adult Stem Cell research and treatments. I read that the Catholic Church actually funds some of this research (to which I say a hearty good for them). We need more funding for this type of research!

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