Stem cell treatment leaves boy with recessive epidermolysis bullosa improving daily

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 3 weeks (www.latimes.com)

Two-year-old Nate Liao is eating solid food, playing with his sibs and generally running around and getting into things. The reason? His body has started producing collagen VII, the material that anchor's a person's skin to the rest of his body. Before he was treated, the least contact could cause bruising and blisters. Eating anything non-liquid could tear the lining of his esophagus.

Some of Nate's doctors are suggesting that epidermolysis bullosa be taken "off the incurable list." Little Nate was given a mixture of bone marrow and cord blood stem cells. This is the first time that such cells have been used to treat a condition that does not directly involve the blood. Before this, the only treatment for epidermolysis bullosa was to wrap the kid in bandages and hope.

Keywords: collagen stem cells bone marrow adult stem cells umbilical stem cells cord blood skin