In a new study, scientists have found that stem cells from bone marrow may act as a novel therapeutic option to treat a disease called epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a disorder characterized by extraordinarily fragile skin.

The debilitating condition is caused by significantly reduced collagen type 7 protein (col7) production, a key component of the anchoring fibrils that connect the cutaneous membranes to the dermis of the skin and mucosal tissues in the gastrointestinal tract.

Currently, there's no cure for the disease, and palliative care includes complex bandaging, surgical removal of damaged tissue, and nutritional support.

"We have been looking into stem cells as viable treatment options for correction of conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa, because they can produce extracellular matrix proteins. In this condition, the skin, the largest organ in the body, can significantly benefit from a renewable source of healthy cells that can help improve the connection between the dermis and epidermis and strengthen the skin against everyday stresses," said Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD, of the University of Minnesota and lead author of the study.

For the study, the researchers worked with a mouse model of RDEB-infused bone marrow cells to determine if they would increase production of the col7 protein and formation of anchoring fibrils, and improve survival in the mouse recipients.

So, they used bone marrow cells enriched for hematopoietic (stem cells that can develop into most blood cell types) and progenitor cells to increase the concentration of cells with the capacity to produce col7.