Swiss Lab Grows New Skin for 80 Fire Survivors

When a champagne sparkler ignited a deadly fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana on New Year's Day, it set in motion an extraordinary medical response that's now racing to save lives through science.

The Cell Production Center at Lausanne University Hospital has been operating seven days a week since the tragedy that killed 40 people and injured 116 others. At the weekend, 80 patients remained in hospitals across Switzerland and Europe, many with burns covering more than half their bodies.

The center is the only facility in Europe capable of producing such large amounts of skin tissue while meeting strict regulatory standards. Their process starts with a small biopsy from the patient's own healthy skin, avoiding the risk of rejection that comes with donor tissue.

"From 10 square centimeters of healthy skin, we are able to produce between one and three batches of 2,600 square centimeters," explained Laurent Carrez, the center's technical manager. That's roughly the surface area of an entire back, grown in a laboratory dish over three weeks.

Inside sterile cleanrooms, technicians monitor cells as they multiply naturally in nutrient baths. The keratinocyte cells touch each other and stack into layers, eventually forming tissue ready to become new skin. Under microscopes, technicians watch for the moment cells stop growing, signaling they've achieved their function and are ready for grafting.

The process requires precise timing because once the skin "matures," surgeons have just two days to apply it. Success isn't guaranteed, but when 80% of grafts take to a patient's body, doctors celebrate it as an excellent result.

Why This Inspires

While waiting for lab-grown skin, doctors use temporary solutions including airtight dressings and even fish skin to protect burned areas. Patients rest in high-humidity rooms heated to 30 degrees Celsius, helping their damaged bodies maintain temperature and hydration.

The center has already received biopsies from patients and stored their cells. Now comes the critical multiplication phase that will determine how many survivors can receive this life-saving treatment.

Severe burns specialist Olivier Pantet emphasized why this technology matters: "When 50% to 60% of the body surface area is burned, we have to grow skin in laboratories because we cannot do it simply by using the remaining healthy skin."

Seven patients are currently being treated at Lausanne University Hospital alone. After successful grafts, they'll face months of careful joint positioning, splinting, and rehabilitation as their new skin heals and their bodies recover.

"The priority is to help these patients as much as possible," Carrez said, whether they're being treated in Switzerland or abroad.