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Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Paper

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Epidermolysis Bullosa, also referred as “EB” is a very dangerous disease. It can be inherited from parents. It is a common disorder that can affect your skin. EB is a “life threatening” disease (Fallon). It can be inherited from a dominant gene or a recessive gene. A “mutation in the COL7A1 gene” can easily cause EB (Pausch). This deadly disease affects about 50,000 people in the United States. Children with this disorder can “lose fingers and toes” (Ezzell).Sometimes, it can affect lungs, the esophagus, eyes, nails, the mouth, teeth, and muscles. Scientists have discovered 23 types of EB. Scientists at the University of Chicago say that the mutation in the cells’ keratin causes blisters to appear by “weakening keratinocytes” so they get dissolved when they are touched (Ezzell). In other parts of the world, the disease would affect “one in 100,000” people (Fallon). …show more content…

These three types are caused by different gene mutations. EB Simplex is caused by autosomal dominant mutations in the genes responsible for keratin 5 and 14. Keratins are proteins that give the epidermis its structural support. These mutations can cause the skin to fall apart and cause blisters. It can cause people to loose hair and teeth. It is also the least dangerous type of EB. Junctional EB is caused by mutations in genes that “encode the proteins collagen 17 or laminin-5” (Fallon). These proteins help hold the skin together, and if they are absent, the skin would separate and blister. It can cause skin to shrink, and affected infants may not survive due to massive infection and dehydration. Dystrophic EB is caused by mutation in the COL7A gene that “produces collagen 7” (Fallon). It can also cause under skin blistering, and can have blisters in the mouth, esophagus, and digestive tract, which can make eating very

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