Background: Despite great progress in the treatment of burns, hypertrophic scars are still a major complication, causing great psychological and physical morbidity for those affected.  Although a widespread consensus deems inflammatory processes during wound healing (partly) responsible for the development of hypertrophic scars, the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. Accordingly, there are a number of possible therapeutic options, most of which have little evidence. Standardized models are essential for further investigation of pathogenesis and development of targeted therapeutics. While in vitro models cannot represent the complexity of wound healing, in vivo models also present a variety of challenges, and thus no standardized model for scar research has been established to date. The aim of this study was to establish a standardized model of hypertrophic scar in the Duroc pig.
Methods: Twenty-two standardized burn and 22 full-thickness skin wounds were placed on the backs of 6 Duroc pigs, whereas half of both had a prolonged inflammation with resiquimod induced. A modified Vancouver Scar Scale, hyperspectral photography and qPCR, and histology from biopsies were performed at defined time points to examine the different processes in the resulting wounds and scars.
Results: The burn and full-thickness skin wounds that underwent prolonged inflammation by resiquimod had a significantly higher Scar Score than the untreated wounds as early as 77 days. Differences in native burn and full-thickness skin wounds were not significant until 105 days. Differences in wound oxygenation and gene expression appeared at similar time points.
Conclusion: According to our experiments, the use of resiquimod is suitable for provoking an earlier-occurring hypertrophic scar. Differences in wound types during scar maturation support the role of inflammatory processes. Further experiments to optimize scar formation by re-inflammation could create an even more reliable model for scar research.

**Background:** Despite great progress in the treatment of burns, hypertrophic scars are still a major complication, causing great psychological and physical morbidity for those affected.  Although a widespread consensus deems inflammatory processes during wound healing (partly) responsible for the development of hypertrophic scars, the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. Accordingly, there are a number of possible therapeutic options, most of which have little evidence. Standardized models are essential for further investigation of pathogenesis and development of targeted therapeutics. While in vitro models cannot represent the complexity of wound healing, in vivo models also present a variety of challenges, and thus no standardized model for scar research has been established to date. The aim of this study was to establish a standardized model of hypertrophic scar in the Duroc pig.
**Methods:** Twenty-two standardized burn and 22 full-thickness skin wounds were placed on the backs of 6 Duroc pigs, whereas half of both had a prolonged inflammation with resiquimod induced. A modified Vancouver Scar Scale, hyperspectral photography and qPCR, and histology from biopsies were performed at defined time points to examine the different processes in the resulting wounds and scars.
**Results:** The burn and full-thickness skin wounds that underwent prolonged inflammation by resiquimod had a significantly higher Scar Score than the untreated wounds as early as 77 days. Differences in native burn and full-thickness skin wounds were not significant until 105 days. Differences in wound oxygenation and gene expression appeared at similar time points.
**Conclusion:** According to our experiments, the use of resiquimod is suitable for provoking an earlier-occurring hypertrophic scar. Differences in wound types during scar maturation support the role of inflammatory processes. Further experiments to optimize scar formation by re-inflammation could create an even more reliable model for scar research.

P.008 Establishment of a hypertrophic scar model and the role of inflammatory processes in the Duroc pig.

Dear friends and colleagues,

We will be pleased to welcome you in Turin (Italy) for the 19th European Burns Association´s Congress in 2022. Italy is honored to hold the meeting of the European Burns Association for the second time, after Verona in 1995. Turin is easily reachable from everywhere in Europe, either travelling by car, train or choosing flight connections. During the meeting, held in the renewed industrial center of the main Italian historical automotive factory (i.e. Lingotto-FIAT), we will meet international burn specialists, focusing on standards of care, progresses in burn treatment, strategies to face disaster situations, with a special attention to education of younger colleagues. However, in your spare time, you might enjoy the sweet days of Italian late summer, simply wandering in the green parks and gardens along the two rivers which cross the city, or you might decide to discover the numerous art galleries, churches, palaces, libraries, walking across elegant squares and large boulevards, passing through centuries of art and history; finally, you may choose to immerse yourself in some of the most exciting museum experiences, such as the Cinema Museum and the Turin’s Egyptian museum.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Turin for the 19th European Association´s Congress in 2022!
Maurizio Stella, Congress President, Turin Burn Centre