Burn injury management and potential use of human umbilical cord-derived tissue-engineered products in burn injury medicine

Burn injuries continue to be a significant concern due to their high prevalence and delayed healing caused by extensive tissue damage and prolonged regeneration. This work focused on a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of existing therapeutic options for burn injuries of varying degrees, as well as promising areas of regenerative medicine. Published data were analyzed to examine pathophysiological mechanisms of burn injuries and their severity grading. Modern burn management includes surgical and topical conservative approaches. Surgical treatment includes necrectomy and skin grafting, which requires donor tissue sites. Topical conservative treatment employs various drugs and medical devices, such as antiseptics, regenerants, and wound dressings. The range of available drugs for burn injury management is limited. These limitations, along with individual disadvantages of existing therapeutic options, necessitate the search for innovative approaches to burn injury management. One promising area is tissue engineering, which uses biologically engineered products to activate a patient’s stem cells. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly is one of the most promising biomaterials. This extraembryonic hard, mucous connective tissue has a remarkable regenerative capacity. Its acellular scaffold promotes cell migration and proliferation, presents growth factors, and stimulates angiogenesis. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, fibronectin, and growth factors that promote regeneration. The proposed technique for producing human umbilical cord-derived acellular scaffold and hydrogel preserves structural and functional components of native human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly in the finished product. Preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated the product’s efficacy and safety in treating deep wounds and promoting healing and autograft survival. Human umbilical cord-derived acellular hydrogel is a promising solution for developing new dosage forms and managing burn injuries.