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In a first, scientists have successfully treated a child suffering from extensive skin damage due to a genetic disease using transplants derived from genetically modified cells.
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The boy suffered from Epidermolysis bullosa, a genetic skin disease that had destroyed about 80 per cent of the outermost layer of his skin.
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After all established therapies failed, the medical team from at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum in Germany and University of Modena in Italy decided to try an experimental approach.
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They transplanted skin derived from genetically-modified stem cells onto the wound surfaces.
More Details:
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Epidermolysis bullosa is the scientific name of a congenital skin disease that is currently considered to be incurable.
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Its underlying mechanism is a defect in protein-forming genes that are essential for skin regeneration.
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Even minor stress can result in blisters, wounds, and skin loss with scar formation.
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Depending on disease severity, internal organs may likewise be affected, leading to critical dysfunctions.
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The disease significantly reduces the patients’ quality of life; often it is also life-threatening.
Source:TH