Last updated January 11, 2018 at 10:43 am
A seven-year-old-child has had 80 per cent of their skin replaced with their own genetically modified and lab grown skin to treat a severe and life-threatening skin disease, thanks to a breakthrough by European researchers.
The boy was suffering from a condition called Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, which causes the skin to be extremely fragile and blister because of mutations in the protein of a particular gene.
Building on previous work on other patients who received smaller transplants, researchers took a four-square-centimetre biopsy from the small region of his unaffected skin, repaired the genetic mutation, and grew the sample to an incredible 85 square centimetres.
Our skin is made up of layers, and it was only the top one – the epidermis – that was regrown and replaced. The crucial part of recovery was ensuring that the epidermis would attach to the second layer, the dermis.
The treatment is particularly well-suited to treat Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa because the disease doesn’t affect the dermis. Nevertheless, it took three operations to graft the skin back on, and 21 months of recovery to be able to call the procedure a success.
The researchers describe the skin as ‘stable and robust, and does not blister, itch, or require ointment or medications’. Types of Epidermolysis Bullosa affect half a million people worldwide, so a safe and effective treatment will have a great impact.
This case was particularly extreme, and most presentations of this disease would require a far less extensive procedure. The researchers expect to use this technique in the future for progressive treatments, and to use it earlier rather than later – almost as a preventive measure. And the treatment could be adapted for other skin conditions and injuries.
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