The China National Burns Association (West-East) held a press conference on the "Achievements of Burn Treatments by Skin Regeneration in China" in Beijing on August 8, 2000. The press release focused on a series of research achievements accomplished by Professor Rongxiang Xu and his team. Using residual viable burn skin tissue, they fulfilled the promise of skin regeneration by stem cell culturing in vivo and in situ and successfully applied the technology in treating severe and extensive deep 2nd and 3rd degree burn victims.

Research on stem cell regeneration in vivo and in situ was conducted by using Moist Exposed Burn Therapy (MEBT), one of the first ten significant medical technologies to be popularized, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Health. With years of research behind him, Dr. Xu, inventor of the therapy, found that through skin regeneration and duplication from stem cell culturing, MEBT could effectively treat burns. Henceforth, this significant discovery has advanced human stem cell research into the application field of organ duplication by stem cell culturing in vivo and in situ.

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Once the skin is burned, wounds heal spontaneously, but irreparable damage and scarring is the result. This is due to the incapability of the skin or organ to repair and duplicate. Traditionally, surgical excisions were performed on irreparable wounds and although these wounds would heal following skin grafting, the results were primarily disablement. Fortunately, a decade ago, Dr. Xu invented Moist Exposed Burn Therapy (MEBT) which made it possible for burn wounds to heal by regenerating and thereby avoiding and reducing such disablement. In the following years, Dr. Xu continued his studies in an attempt to uncover the mechanism of skin regeneration. It was until recently that he completed a comprehensive study authenticating a fact that subsequent to burn injuries, the human body has an instinctive way of triggering residual tissue in situ to regenerate stem cells, which are then adapted to produce new skin tissue. The process of directly inverting stem cells in situ to skin organ not only realizes the duplication capabilities of skin organs from stem cells but also accomplishes replication of human skin organ in situ. This major medical advancement has raised the forefront of culture stem cells in vitro or organ transplantation therapy. The realms of human organ duplication by stem cells in vivo and in situ now presents new dimensions and possibilities.

In December of 1999, human stem cell research was listed as one of the top ten scientific achievements according to "SCIENCE" magazine, followed by the second rank of sequencing of the human genome and clone. Currently, international research in regards to stem cell and tissue culturing in vitro after isolating the stem cells remains to be at this level only. Studies on designing and application of direct organ culturing with stem cells in vivo and in situ have not been reported yet. There are two types of human stem cells, totipotent or embryo stem cells which can directly clone human or animals; and pluripotent stem cells which are capable of giving rise to organs and repairing tissues. As a result of preliminary testing directly related to Dr. Xu's presentation on stem cell research, more than ten extensive burn patients with over 90% TBSA (total body surface area) with deep burns healed with MEBT treatment and have made their appearances in the event to demonstrate their repaired and regenerated new skin.

The achievement of stem cell regeneration in situ made by Dr. Xu has prompted significant breakthroughs in stem cell research. It indicates that such research in China has come into an era of tissue and organ duplication by stem cell culture in vivo and in situ, directionally and respectively leading the international market. To benefit all burn patients with this significant medical technology and provide scientific data for medical science and medical education, China National Burns Association (West-East) compiled a "Blue Book on Burn Medical Therapy " (Volume 1). The book gives extensive and intensive descriptions of the therapeutic bases of burn skin regeneration techniques, methodology as well as other achievements on stem cell regeneration in situ.

In the press release, Professor Xu promulgated a detailed presentation concerning his research thoughts and significant prospects of stem cell culturing in situ related to the field of skin cosmetics, regeneration, repair of gastrointestinal mucosal membrane and other organ duplications, which claims to revolutionize the practice of medicine.