Severe burn victims could soon experience faster recoveries and fewer medical complications thanks to an unusual healing agent: the skin of Atlantic cod. A study comparing standard treatments found that patients treated with fish-skin scaffolds spent nearly two weeks less in the hospital than those who received conventional synthetic wound covers.
Every day, more than 30,000 people around the world suffer severe burns that require specialized medical care. For deep second- or third-degree burns, doctors often apply temporary scaffolds to manage infection risks and prepare damaged tissue before performing skin graft surgery. Researchers analyzed data from 465 adult patients across 49 burn centers between 2019 and 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness of a fish-skin product called GraftGuide, manufactured by the Icelandic company Kerecis.
Among the participants, 93 patients received the intact cod skin treatment prior to grafting, while the remaining patients received approved synthetic alternatives. Both groups had similar burn severities, affecting roughly 13 percent of their bodies on average. The results showed that patients treated with cod skin were discharged after an average of 23 days, compared to 35 days for those given synthetic scaffolds. Furthermore, complication rates such as sepsis dropped by half, from 16 percent in the synthetic group to 8 percent among cod-skin recipients.
Scientists attribute the therapy's success to the unique biological structure of Atlantic cod skin, which closely resembles human skin under a microscope. Unlike synthetic substitutes, cod skin naturally retains high levels of collagen and omega-3 fatty acids. Lead researcher Dr. John Lantis from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai explained that omega-3 fatty acids trigger a brief, initial surge of inflammation that helps halt bleeding. Because the inflammation subsides quickly, it accelerates the body's natural healing process without causing prolonged tissue swelling. Additionally, because fish viruses rarely infect humans, cod skin can be processed without harsh chemical detergents that would otherwise wash away these beneficial lipids.
While experts welcome the findings, some note that head-to-head clinical trials are essential to confirm the benefits. An ongoing clinical trial is currently testing the cod-skin product on second-degree burns, where each participant receives fish skin on one portion of their wound and a standard graft on another. If these trials continue to yield positive results, cod skin could become a widespread natural alternative in burn care worldwide.