{"id":33300,"date":"2024-11-01T16:57:44","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T16:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/?p=33300"},"modified":"2025-09-30T10:29:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T10:29:05","slug":"placenta-grafts-could-aid-in-facial-reconstruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/2024\/11\/placenta-grafts-could-aid-in-facial-reconstruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Placenta Grafts Aid in Facial Reconstruction"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]\n

A recent story published by <\/span>The New York Times<\/span><\/i> has highlighted the life-changing potential placenta holds for the treatment of severe burns and wounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story follows Marcella Townsend, who was left unrecognisable by second and third degree burns she suffered after a propane explosion at her mother\u2019s house in Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

With few treatment options available, Marcella underwent a radical, cutting-edge procedure: a human placenta graft.<\/span><\/p>\n

Incredibly, Marcella\u2019s face now looks nearly identical to how it did before the explosion. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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What is a human placenta graft?<\/span><\/h3>\n

A placenta graft involves the application of amniotic membrane \u2013 the thin, translucent inner part of the placenta surrounding the fetus in the womb \u2013 to an area affected by burns, wounds, or injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike skin grafts using animals or cadavers, placental tissue doesn\u2019t trigger the immune system, meaning it isn\u2019t rejected by the body \u2013 a byproduct of the immunological privilege it has between mother and child during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also stimulates rapid cell regrowth, which can help the body heal with minimal scarring. <\/span>[2]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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What makes the placenta so special?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The placenta provides crucial nutrients and protection to babies during pregnancy, and is filled with proteins and growth factors that make it extremely useful for healing injuries. <\/span>[3]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Since the early 20th century, the amniotic membrane from placentas has been used in topical treatments for burns, wounds, and ulcers. It\u2019s even been used to treat eye conditions. <\/span>[4]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

And yet, despite their potential, most placentas are discarded as medical waste.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today in the U.S. only publicly stored donated placentas from elective C-sections are used. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

There are also limitations on how they can be used. For instance, amniotic membrane grafts are only approved so long as there is minimal manipulation, meaning that their application is contained to internal and external bandages, along with cases of chronic wounds that take longer than usual to heal, or don\u2019t heal at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the latter context, a placenta graft again proved to be life-changing.<\/span><\/p>\n

As cited by<\/span> The New York Times<\/span><\/i>, an 83-year-old woman had an infected, chronic wound on her leg that wouldn\u2019t heal after surgery. Having exhausted treatment options \u2013 including the use of larvae to eat the infected areas \u2013 doctors turned to placenta-derived skin grafts to close the wound.<\/span><\/p>\n

The woman\u2019s leg healed completely.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the medical potential of the placenta seems boundless \u2013 they have been found to heal burns, wounds, and even restore vision in some cases \u2013 their lack of availability, along with the cost of associated procedures, means they remain vastly underused in the medical field. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Why aren\u2019t placentas more widely used?<\/span><\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s clear that placentas have huge potential in a wide range of medical contexts, current therapeutic applications don\u2019t come cheap. It is estimated that the cost of a placental graft ranges between $200 and $3,000 per square centimetre of amniotic membrane in the U.S. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

In the UK, amniotic membrane grafts are similarly pricey, with a document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) showing a 2cm x 3cm graft costing around \u00a31,000 (approximately $1,350) for a single use. <\/span>[5]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

With the street worth of placentas estimated to be around $50,000 \u2013 a figure that\u2019s expected to double or even triple over the course of the next decade <\/span>[6]<\/span><\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s no wonder some mothers are looking to privately store their own placentas.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is private placenta storage?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Private placenta storage is the process by which mothers can choose to store their placenta so that it\u2019s available for their child to use in future therapies, should they need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are hundreds of clinical trials ongoing that are exploring the uses of placenta in treatments for conditions ranging from stroke to diabetes, Crohn\u2019s and osteoarthritis. By saving the placenta, the powerful cells and growth hormones it contains are preserved for future use. <\/span>[7]<\/span><\/a> [8]<\/span><\/a> [9]<\/span><\/a> [10]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Private placenta storage can be considered to be part of what\u2019s known as cord blood banking \u2013 the process by which the perinatal cells and tissues that naturally occur in the umbilical cord and placenta are cryogenically frozen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these perinatal cells are otherwise known as stem cells, and have many therapeutic benefits. Some are even being used today in over 80 approved treatments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Saving the umbilical cord and placenta for your baby gives them the best chance to access future therapies using stem cells and other perinatal cells and tissues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are baby\u2019s own perfect match, meaning the risk of rejection in a procedure like a transplant is minimal.<\/span><\/p>\n

For people like Marcella Townsend, the life-changing potential of the placenta is clear. By storing for your baby, you could ensure that they too have access to future therapies utilising the power of the placenta.<\/span><\/p>\n

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References<\/b><\/p>\n

[1] Morgan, K. (2024, October 8). <\/span>Her Face Was Unrecognizable After an Explosion. A Placenta Restored It.<\/span><\/i> The New York Times. https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/08\/well\/placenta-donations-burns-wounds.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[2] Glat, Paul MD et al. Placental Membrane Provides Improved Healing Efficacy and Lower Cost Versus a Tissue-Engineered Human Skin in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcerations. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open 7(8):p e2371, August 2019. | DOI: 10.1097\/GOX.0000000000002371\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[3] Protzman NM, Mao Y, Long D, Sivalenka R, Gosiewska A, Hariri RJ, Brigido SA. Placental-Derived Biomaterials and Their Application to Wound Healing: A Review. Bioengineering. 2023; 10(7):829. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bioengineering10070829<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[4] Schmiedova I, Dembickaja A, Kiselakova L, Nowakova B, Slama P. Using of Amniotic Membrane Derivatives for the Treatment of Chronic Wounds. Membranes (Basel). 2021 Nov 29;11(12):941. doi: 10.3390\/membranes11120941. PMID: 34940442; PMCID: PMC8706466.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[5] (2018, January 30). <\/span>EpiFix for chronic wounds<\/span><\/i>. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. https:\/\/www.nice.org.uk\/advice\/mib139<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[6] Schweizer, R. (2019, March). <\/span>What is your Placenta Worth?<\/span><\/i> Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Banking Foundation. https:\/\/parentsguidecordblood.org\/en\/news\/what-is-your-placenta-worth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[7] Mansoureh Barzegar et al. Human Placenta Mesenchymal Stem Cell Protection in Ischemic Stroke is Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 and Masr Receptor-Dependent, Stem Cells, Volume 39, Issue 10, October 2021, Pages 1335\u20131348, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/stem.3426<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[8] Kadam, S., Muthyala, S., Nair, P., & Bhonde, R. (2010). Human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells and islet-like cell clusters generated from these cells as a novel source for stem cell therapy in diabetes. The review of diabetic studies : RDS, 7(2), 168\u2013182. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1900\/RDS.2010.7.168<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[9] Mayer L, et al. Safety and tolerability of human placenta-derived cells (PDA001) in treatment-resistant crohn’s disease: a phase 1 study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 Mar-Apr;19(4):754-60. doi: 10.1097\/MIB.0b013e31827f27df. PMID: 23429460; PMCID: PMC4272923<\/span>.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[10] Gwam C, Ohanele C, Hamby J, Chughtai N, Mufti Z, Ma X. Human placental extract: a potential therapeutic in treating osteoarthritis. Ann Transl Med. 2023 Jun 30;11(9):322. doi: 10.21037\/atm.2019.10.20. Epub 2019 Oct 16. PMID: 37404996; PMCID: PMC10316113.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”down-arrow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#bd144f” custom_padding=”0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”RWP” module_id=”request-welcome-pack” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

FIND OUT MORE, REQUEST YOUR FREE INFO KIT TODAY<\/h3>\n

All you need to know to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n

Provide your contact details to request:<\/p>\n

– Complete Info Kit and your Guide to Cord Blood Banking
– Information via email
– Contact from our specialist advisors<\/p>\n

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