Skin Burns: Review of Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches

Burn wounds are one of the main causes of skin damage. Based on World Health Organization statistics, almost 300 000 people worldwide die of burns each year. In severe burns, the cells and blood vessels are often injured and the blood supply to the wound is disturbed. Many factors such as oxygenation, infection, aging, hormones, and nutrition potentially can influence burn progression and disrupt repair with unbalanced release of various growth factors and cytokines. Different treatment approaches such as dressings and skin substitutes have been applied to aid wound healing. A thorough understanding of the effective factors on burns can improve wound healing outcomes. This review evaluates articles published on the Scopus, EMBASE, and PubMed databases that attempt to explain the pathophysiology, molecular components, and therapeutic approaches involved in the burn wound healing process.