In Which the Armed Forces Lead the Way...In More Ways Than One

Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Armed Forces' contribution to our society lies not only in smiting the wicked, but in the technological and scientific advancements that have cross-applications in the peace-time.

Nowhere is this more apparent to the civilian population than in the field of medicine. The requirements of caring for soldiers on the field of battle, providing palliative care, and saving as many lives as possible have led to the discipline of emergency medicine, widespread use of antibiotics, and blood collecting, storing and transfusion technologies.

And now, with more service members surviving their catastrophic injuries than ever before, the Armed Forces is prepared to lead the way again.

In April, the Pentagon announced the formation of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM). The Institute will form partnerships with groups currently working in regenerative medicine, providing consultative services and funding.

"The AFIRM team is committed to developing clinical therapies over the next five years focusing on the following five areas:

· Burn repair
· Wound healing without scarring
· Craniofacial reconstruction
· Limb reconstruction, regeneration or transplantation
· Compartment syndrome, a condition related to inflammation after surgery or injury that can lead to increased pressure, impaired blood flow, nerve damage and muscle death"

Obviously, these therapies will have far-reaching affects for all humans suffering these types of catastrophic injuries. One researcher that I found especially intriguing is the work of Dr. Jorg Gerlach. "Dr. Gerlach, at the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is isolating patients' own skin stem cells from a small patch of healthy skin. Then, using a specially developed skin-cell gun, he sprays them onto the wounded area in a fine mist. Over a period of two to six weeks, the cells grow into functional skin, including dermis, epidermis and blood vessels. There is little scarring, and because Gerlach includes the patient's own pigment cells in the mix, the new skin looks natural. In one pilot study, he treated eight patients in Germany with good results."

How cool is that? A skin spray gun. What a fabulous alternative to skin grafts and abridement.

While I would never wish a catastrophic injury on any of my brothers and sisters-in-arms, I can be pleased and proud that the treatment of their injuries will benefit not only them, but the wider world.

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