This activity is based on an ongoing prospective longitudinal observational study, currently underway at UHBFT, Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) and St Andrew’s Centre for burns in Chelmsford (SIFTI 2). It aims to investigate biomarkers of scarring following severe burn injury and is collecting repeat samples of blood, urine and skin biopsies over a 1-year period, providing a valuable biobank for future research projects within the CfCWR and the scar research community more broadly. We envisage opening further centres in UK, and Guangzhou in China.

This work package will deliver better understanding of post burn scarring and inform the development of new treatments for all types of tissue trauma including burns, chemical and blast injuries. The study will interrogate the kinetics of scar formation with a focus on the cellular immune and fibroblast components and their interactions, to identify novel therapeutic targets, benefitting from recent developments in fibroblast biology and functional phenotyping led by an international team including UoB researchers.

The discovery of novel scarring biomarkers and associated molecular pathways will also identify those at risk of excessive scarring at the point of injury. This will help stratify patient’s care and treat these patients with the appropriate therapies.