Spencer Douglas Thatcher

Mr. Spencer Douglas Thatcher

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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3 December 2025 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
AAAbu-Bakr Ahmed
Abu-Bakr Ahmed
STSpencer Douglas Thatcher
Spencer Douglas Thatcher
JKJoshua Khorsandi
Joshua Khorsandi
ZAZahra Ahmed
Zahra Ahmed
MLMichael Jet Lee
Michael Jet Lee
AMAftab Merchant
Aftab Merchant
Background: Chronic cutaneous wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure injuries, and burns remain a global clinical burden. These wounds are often arrested in inflammatory or ischemic stages due to impaired angiogenesis and growth factor deficiencies. Biologic therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and recombinant growth factors, aim to restore these deficits and accelerate repair. Methods: A narrative review of PubMed and Google Scholar (2015–2025) identified 64 English-language studies, including randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and translational investigations evaluating PRP and recombinant growth factors in wound healing. Results: Randomized trials and meta-analyses show that adjunctive autologous PRP increases complete wound closure versus standard care in chronic ulcers, including diabetic foot and venous leg ulcers (odds ratios ≈ 2–8), and improves healing rates in pressure injuries (odds ratio ≈ 3.4), without increasing adverse events. In diabetic foot ulcers, PDGF-BB and EGF, together with PRP, consistently improve complete healing and reduce ulcer area. In burns, topical EGF and bFGF shorten healing time by ~3 days in superficial partial-thickness wounds and by >5 days in deeper burns, with generally improved scar outcomes. Conclusions: PRP offers broad, autologous biologic activation, while recombinant growth factors deliver high-potency, targeted precision. Together, they represent complementary regenerative strategies that can shorten healing times and improve outcomes in chronic wounds. Standardized multicenter trials quantifying cytokine composition, cost-effectiveness, and long-term limb-salvage benefit are warranted to guide their integration into routine clinical practice.