Surgeons can compare three pre-graft methods for treating burn wounds. When using the split-thickness skin graft procedure, many different wound bed covers can be used. The lack of available donor sites can delay skin grafting. During this time, priming the wound bed is the best chance a patient has for full healing. An excised wound bed, an artificial dermal template, and a granulation tissue induced by cellulose sponge are all methods to prepare the wound for a split-thickness skin graft. All three wound bed covers are easy to apply and can be placed on bones and deep wounds, often without pain. Achieving reduced scar formation begins with a well-primed wound bed that can significantly improve the outcome of skin replacement.

Two issues affecting health today are metabolic syndrome and trans fats. Metabolic syndrome is a common condition that has no single known cause. Trans fats are fatty acids that can be artificially made and added to food, or can naturally occur in ruminant-derived foods. There has been speculation that metabolic syndrome and trans fats are correlated. Studies indicate both positive and negative correlations between metabolic syndrome and the consumption of trans fats.

Dental pulp stem cell research has provided new understanding regarding the subtle differences from the more commonly studied mesenchymal stem cells. The ability to differentiate into various types of cells, the ease of extraction, and ability to maintain clonogenic properties in cell cultures have led dental pulp stem cells to be an attractive alternative focus in stem cell therapeutic research. The recent research advancements that have led an endeavor for application in medicine and therapeutics are reviewed.