Cure for E. Bullosa??

Researchers discover promising treatment for epidermolysis bullosa.


Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is "a rare genetic disorder caused by lack of a protein, [collagen VII], that is needed to keep skin attached to the body."

The disease "affects about 20 of one million babies born, but the most severe form, recessive dystrophic EB,...occurs in about two out of one million births."

Until recently, there was no known treatment for EB. However, on October 19, a physician "transplanted bone marrow and cord blood cells from" a healthy donor to an EB patient in hopes that "the healthy cells will move into...[the patient's] skin and correct the genetic defect."

Researcher Jakub Tolar of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation program at the University of Minnesota performed the procedure. Last year, he "found that three of 13 mice infused with cells from the marrow of healthy mice didn't die." Prior to that, "researcher Angela Christiano, of Columbia University," had "identified the gene for dystrophic EB."

This recent operation was the first ever performed on a human with EB. "If the treatment works, even partially, doctors say they may be able to try it on...[another patient] in about six months."