In honour of Sophie Delezio   ride4difference    Fundraiser for Day of Difference Foundation

Fundraiser  &  Motorcycle ride event.

Burn injury is still one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. As part of the NSW Burns Injury Service, staff members at the Burns Unit of Concord Hospital commit themselves not only to providing critical care to burns patients, but also to carrying out scientific research to improve burn management, prevent the development of the burn disease and the resulting severe scarring. In addition, an education program in burn injury prevention has successfully started in NSW.

              


The Skin Culture Laboratory at Concord Hospital, started by Dr Peter Maitz in 2000, produces cultured skin cells in large quantities for all burns patients in NSW. The scientists, under Dr. Zhe Li, have supplied cultured skin cells to over 80 burn patients treated at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Royal North Shore Hospital and Concord Hospital. Not only can the products of the Skin Laboratory save patients’ lives by closing their wounds early, new evidence shows that cultured cells can heal wounds with less scarring thereby preventing a life-long battle for burn patients. Early wound closure with cultured cells has the potential to prevent the development of the burn disease, which follows the acute stage of the burn injury. The team at the Skin Laboratory is actively working on new techniques for wound closure aimed at preventing and minimizing the effects of the burn disease. This will enable burn surgeons to remove the burned skin earlier. We have learned that burned skin releases factors into the patients’ blood that prompts the burns disease and can ultimately lead to the patients’ death. By removing all burned tissue early, we are able to prevent the onset of the burn disease.

Apart from clinical/laboratory services and scientific research, we are actively involved in the prevention of burns injuries. A community-based burn injury prevention program was initiated in 2005 in NSW to raise the public awareness of burn injuries and public participation in its prevention. Part of the program is to educate school children about the consequence of burn injury and the control of risk behaviors in high schools and community. In addition, laboratory-based technologies and advances in general burns care is brought to an easy understanding in the general public.

The laboratory-based technology involves isolating epidermal stem cells from a small skin biopsy and expanding the cells under laboratory conditions. The cells can be cultured into skin-like grafts and transplanted to cover burns and donor site wounds. Skin culture technology is creating a new paradigm in burn wound care. A very exiting advance was the possibility of covering more than 30% of young Sophie Delezio’s body surface by combining a bioengineered dermal replacement with Sophie’s own skin cells grown in the laboratory. Sophie went on to full recovery after this ground breaking success. Scientists have been working hard to optimize the process for future regular use in other patients and to have this technology available at an early stage to prevent the onset of the burn disease.

Whilst primarily functioning as a clinical laboratory, great efforts have also been made in scientific researches and development. Dr. Li, Kate Nieuwendyk and Sue Taggart have succeeded in advancing the available technologies further. New technique using the patients own serum protein gel is under investigation with an attempt to develop a safer and more effective skin cell delivery system. Researches are also focused on wound healing mechanism and skin tissue engineering. We are aiming at growing 3D-skin and dermal substitutes for grafting deep burns and scar reconstruction. The understanding of wound healing and engineered skin substitutes will play essential role in optimal wound closure and prevention of scar formation.

All above services, research projects and education programs will need the full support of every individual in our society as the results promise to reduce the incidence burn injuries and improve outcome after burn injury care, not just to save lives but also to improve wound healing, quality of scarring and quality of life.

Day of Difference is working with the Skin Laboratory to ensure they have the equipment that is so vital to their future research and the development of new treatment methods.