Use of Stem Cells in Acute and Complex Wounds

Wound healing is a well-orchestrated, if operative, process that involves the specific coordination of various cellular and molecular events. There are many therapeutic approaches to facilitate wound healing; however the treatment of cutaneous wounds remains a challenge, particularly in complex wounds. This chapter will discuss the therapeutic potential of stem cells, undifferentiated and multipotent cells, in the treatment of acute and complex cutaneous wounds. We will address current treatments in deficient healing (e.g., diabetes and aging) and excessive healing (e.g., hypertrophic scars and keloids) and emerging treatments that utilize adult stem cells. Finally, we will discuss the methods of delivering these stem cells as well as the challenges stem cell therapies face in regenerative medicine.