“In the aftermath of a propane explosion at her mother’s house in Savannah, Ga., in 2021, Ms. Townsend spent more than six weeks in an induced coma in a burn trauma unit. She had second- and third-degree burns over most of her body, and her face had become unrecognizable.

Searching for a way to help her, surgeons turned to a rarely utilized tool: human placenta. They carefully applied a thin layer of the donated organ to her face, which Ms. Townsend said was ‘the best thing they could have done, ever.’ She still has scars from grafts elsewhere on her body, but the 47-year-old’s face, she said, ‘looks exactly like it did before.’

During pregnancy, the placenta forms in the uterus, where it provides the fetus with nutrients and antibodies, and protects it from viruses and toxins. Then, it follows the baby from the body, still filled with a wealth of stem cells, collagens and cytokines that doctors and researchers have realized make it uniquely useful after birth, too.

Research has found placenta-derived grafts can reduce pain and inflammation, heal burns, prevent the formation of scar tissue and adhesions around surgical sites and even restore vision. They’re also gaining popularity as a treatment for the widespread issue of chronic wounds…

Decades ago, the medical community moved away from placenta usage due in part to fears brought on by the AIDS epidemic. Now, some doctors and researchers are arguing that the shift was misguided, and that the placenta is an underused medical tool hiding in plain sight.”

From New York Times.