News

EveryLife Introduces First of Kind ‘Roadmap’ to ICD Codes

To help patient advocacy leaders and their partners better understand how global health statistics codes — known as ICD codes — are assigned, updated, and revised in the U.S. health information system, the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases is presenting a first-of-its-kind resource guide. The foundation created the…

Exon Skipping Therapies May Be Effective for Some Mutations

Using exon skipping therapies may be an easy, affordable, and effective approach for people with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) with amenable mutations, an early study suggests. Such therapies would promote the production of a slightly shorter, but working version of the skin-related protein that is missing in people with EB, researchers said.

Wound-specific Bacteria May Be Targets for DEB Treatment

A distinct set of bacteria colonizes the skin in and around wounds in people with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), according to a new study. The finding suggests that these patients may benefit from therapies that specifically target those bacteria and that encourage the growth of non wound-associated bacteria instead.

Gentamicin Lessened Ocular Lesions in Junctional EB

Topical administration of the antibiotic gentamicin to the eye restored the production of a key skin health protein called laminin 332 while rapidly lessening eye lesions in a woman with junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), a study reports. The study, “Topical gentamicin ointment induces LAMB3 nonsense mutation…