# Skin Graft Gun: Welcome to the Amazing Future **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936 "2011-02-02T19:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/21 "2011-02-03T18:07:48Z")
[This link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXO_ApjKPaI#t=2m39s) skips past most of the graphic burn imagery and gets right to the most stunning part of the story – a before (which, yes, is a little disconcerting, but it’s quick and you’ve seen _much_ worse) and after, showing how incredibly quickly and effectively this treatment works. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/22 "2011-02-03T18:26:48Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > The graphic nature of burned skin being healed by an amazing technology doesn’t bother me. The You-Tube Ad for the “McDonald’s Angus Chipolte Burger” that plays right before that video (that you can’t skip past) seems damned inappropriate however, if not down-right ghoulish. Ah, you smoothskins. So squeamish. [“Oh, I’m tired. All I need is sleep. This radioactive water is killing me from the inside.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9UwlAAnlmg) Lightweight. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/23 "2011-02-03T19:13:29Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > [This link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXO_ApjKPaI#t=2m39s) skips past most of the graphic burn imagery and gets right to the most stunning part of the story – a before (which, yes, is a little disconcerting, but it’s quick and you’ve seen _much_ worse) and after, showing how incredibly quickly and effectively this treatment works. “This video contains content from National Geographic, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.” Bugger. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/24 "2011-02-03T19:21:01Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I was able to watch the video by going to National [Geographic.com](http://Geographic.com) and searching for “skin gun”. > > [This link might work.](http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/national-geographic-channel/shows/explorer-1/ngc-the-skin-gun.html) It works! ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/25 "2011-02-03T19:32:30Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > [This link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXO_ApjKPaI#t=2m39s) skips past most of the graphic burn imagery and gets right to the most stunning part of the story – a before (which, yes, is a little disconcerting, but it’s quick and you’ve seen _much_ worse) and after, showing how incredibly quickly and effectively this treatment works. That’s exactly the same clip as in the OP, and there’s no direct before/after comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/26 "2011-02-03T19:36:15Z")
But doesn’t have the hamburger ad. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/27 "2011-02-03T19:55:56Z")
That’s pretty awesome. As for 3rd degree burns, I think it’s possible (perhaps even likely) that further development will make it possible. Wired magazine ran an article about [stem cell breast implants](http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/10/ff_futureofbreasts/) for mastectomy patients that were successful precisely because they were able to regenerate bloodflow to the new implanted cells. Too bad stem cell research is so goddamn politicized. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/28 "2011-02-03T20:21:50Z")
Maybe this will help the naysayers see the light. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/29 "2011-02-03T20:28:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I guess my concern here is that he had “only” bad second degree burns, meaning there were still some intact skin structures and adequate blood flow to the sites treated. I wonder how well this would work with third degree burns where the entire thickness of skin is destroyed and there may or may not be adequate circulation to the area. > > Mind you - this is nothing to sneeze at. That level of second degree burn can leave scars and result in all sorts of problems. It is worthwhile treatment even if that’s the worst level of burn it can treat. I’d just like to see something work that well on the truly worst cases. True, but since most bad burns are mixed, I think it’s wonderful that we may be able to heal the 2nd degree burns in a day or so, thus eliminating at least those potential sites for infection, even if the 3rd degree sites on the same patient still need conventional grafts. > [@Nametag](#): > > The burn patient who was treated, the one they’re interviewing – was not photographed before treatment. Isn’t that strange? I’d have thought that photographs would be collected for data, since this is all still experimental. Did someone lose the SIM card or something? 😕 This \*is \*very exciting news. ETA: And it doesn’t use the stem cells that are so controversial. This uses a collection of the patient’s own skin, prepared into a liquid form for spraying on…all in under two hours. Using their own skin, of course, means you don’t have to put them on immunosuppressives to prevent rejection, which is all kinds of awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/30 "2011-02-03T20:37:13Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Isn’t that strange? I’d have thought that photographs would be collected for data, since this is all still experimental. Did someone lose the SIM card or something? 😕 I wonder if they do have pictures but thought they were too gruesome to show. They did show some pretty greusome stuff, but mayby his injuries were such that thhey just decided not to. It doesn’t seem to make sense, but who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/31 "2011-02-03T20:53:41Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > That’s exactly the same clip as in the OP, and there’s no direct before/after comparison. It’s the same clip, just starting past the most graphic of burn footage (for those who weren’t looking due to squeamishness). And no, there no _direct_ before and after, but unless they’re being deliberately deceitful with the “this is roughly what his skin looked like four days ago” bit, then that’s a mind-boggling difference. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/32 "2011-02-03T21:09:03Z")
That is just amazing, but why oh why did I read the comments? I should never read comments when it comes to science videos. Inevitably there will be some yahoo posting about irreducible complexity and satanic baby killing stem cells. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/33 "2011-02-04T00:09:01Z")
> [@Headrush042](#): > > \ > > Too bad stem cell research is so goddamn politicized. No shit. I want my new tooth buds, and I want them NOW! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/34 "2011-02-04T03:04:22Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > But doesn’t have the hamburger ad. “We’ve secretly changed the healing skin cannister of this cutting edge graft gun with one filled with McDonalds Chipolte sauce. Lets see if this burn victim can spot the difference…” > [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Inevitably there will be some yahoo posting about irreducible complexity and satanic baby killing stem cells. If ever the world needed Darkman to stick their heads up through some open manhole covers on a busy street… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936/35 "2011-02-04T15:36:37Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > It’s the same clip, just starting past the most graphic of burn footage (for those who weren’t looking due to squeamishness). And no, there no _direct_ before and after, but unless they’re being deliberately deceitful with the “this is roughly what his skin looked like four days ago” bit, then that’s a mind-boggling difference. Thanks for that. If the original was more graphic, I’m glad I didn’t watch it. Eeyaaugh. Amazing healing, though! I can’t believe he healed from 2nd degree burns without any scarring. Incredible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-graft-gun-welcome-to-the-amazing-future/569936.md?page=1)