Magic Gun Sprays Skin Cells to Heal Burns Almost Instantly

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
12,070
0
0
Magic Gun Sprays Skin Cells to Heal Burns Almost Instantly

The future is here with a new experimental process that sprays the victim's skin cells onto burns to heal them in days instead of months.

It's called a "skin cell gun" by Jorg C. Gerlach of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. His team has been working on the process for a long time and just now has entered the experimental phase using real human burn victims. First, the scientists harvest healthy skin cells from unharmed portions of the victim's bodies and isolate the stem cells in order to put them in a water solution. Gerlach's gun then sprays those cells directly onto the burn wound as if painting a house. The process of taking the sample, isolating the cells and then spraying them on the wound takes only 1.5 hours, and results in drastically quickening the healing process for burn victims. In the following video from National Geographic, the example patient is Matt Urum, a state trooper from Pennsylvania who suffered 2nd degree burns when someone threw a cup of gasoline on a bonfire. He was treated on a Friday and by Monday his skin was completely healed.


Here's a non-blocked video for you international folks [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y5H9Sasq5U], if you can deal with the fact that it's mirrored.

"It looked like something you'd see in Star Wars," Urum said of the skin cell gun.

I'm inclined to agree. This technology seems like it could save hundreds of lives and ease the suffering of thousands of people subjected to painful and disfiguring burns. So far over 12 burn victims have been successfully treated using the skin gun, and more tests and studies will be conducted before it sees wide usage in our hospitals. But if the Urum's case is any indication, it will be nothing short of amazing.

Famed science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke's third law [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Any_sufficiently_advanced_technology_is_indistinguishable_from_magic] states that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Therefore, the skin cell gun is magical.

Source: National Geographic [http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/national-geographic-channel/shows/explorer-1/ngc-the-skin-gun.html]

Permalink
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
19,316
0
0
I'm afraid to click the video, it looks gross.

But really? Spraypainting your skin back on? Dwarf Fortress absolutely needs this.
 

Bloodstain

New member
Jun 20, 2009
1,625
0
0
OMG THAT IS AWESOME YAY SCIENCE -squees-

Seriously. This will help humanity so much. I want one for personal use, just in case...
 

Cogwheel

New member
Apr 3, 2010
1,375
0
0
lacktheknack said:
I'm afraid to click the video, it looks gross.

But really? Spraypainting your skin back on? Dwarf Fortress absolutely needs this.
Only if you want a more efficient way to wear the skins of your enemies or something. Dwarves don't need a medigun. Or healing. They'll just walk/drink it off.


In any case, this is great. Anything that makes the healing process easier on burn victims is good in my book.
 

Jonci

New member
Sep 15, 2009
539
0
0
lacktheknack said:
I'm afraid to click the video, it looks gross.

But really? Spraypainting your skin back on? Dwarf Fortress absolutely needs this.
It's not that bad. They only show a severe 2nd degree burn. But damn, that guy's face and arm healed in four days?! I just freaking love science.
 

RatRace123

Elite Member
Dec 1, 2009
6,651
0
41
TAHT'S AWESOME!!! (So awesome that it made me misspell "that") Seriously, that's amazing.
The technology involved could be the first step to the healing of other organs as well.

Plus, from an entirely geeky viewpoint, it's friggin' cool!
 

Rad Party God

Party like it's 2010!
Feb 23, 2010
3,560
0
0
That image from the video looks pretty gross. Also I can't watch it, YouTube says it's content from National Geographic is not available in my country.

OT: Great news!, now we can see mediguns on every hospital!.

EDIT: in every hospital.

 

CanadianWolverine

New member
Feb 1, 2008
432
0
0
OMG!@ I want one! I wonder if it could be used in surgery too to limit scaring, for scrapes, cuts... medigel, here we come! :D
 

sunburst

Media Snob
Mar 19, 2010
666
0
0
I'd like to see some actual time lapse of this working but this is pretty awesome. Here's hoping it becomes standard in the next few years.
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
...

The applications for this are extraordinary.

I mean, if you're firing stem-cells, you're talking about feasibly curing cancer, regenerating limbs...possibly even repairing failing organs.

... Just wow.
 

ThatLankyBastard

New member
Aug 18, 2010
1,885
0
0
W00T, Science FTW!!

Seriously, thats pretty sweet!!!

I wonder how bad the burn would have to be to have on of these used on you...
*turns on stove*