The researchers from the University of Birmingham are working on a new product which may make life easy for the patients of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). This new product is a mouth spray that will save them from the extremely painful mouth blisters, ulcers, and scarring in EB patients which is a rare genetic skin disorder. This disease Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) makes the skin around the mouth extremely sensitive which tears up with the slightest movement, speaking, or eating, leading to oral scarring and blisters.
Only in the UK, nearly 5000 people are diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and living a miserable life. This rare genetic skin disease is mostly diagnosed at the early ages of life. Parents should pay attention if their child complaints about pain around the mouth or inside the mouth or frequently suffer from cuts, sores, and wounds around the lips.
The skin tears in the inner lining of the mouth make it extremely painful to move the mouth even for speaking or eating. When these wounds heal they leave scarring and still affect the nearby tissues and hinder daily tasks.
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The research team from the University’s Healthcare Technologies Institute along with the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing are collaborating to develop an easy-to-use oral spray which could help to relieve some of these symptoms.
Right now, the team is working with different patient groups and clinicians on board to develop an oral spray which can be directly used on the inner cheek. This spray is thought to have anti-fibrotic molecules that can treat the sores, blisters and reduce the chance or scarring later.
DEBRA, one of the prominent UK charity is funding this project to help people suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa and to improve the quality of life for these patients.
Caroline Collins is the Director of Research at this charity organization DEBRA. According to her developing this spray will be a great help in terms of improving treatment for EB patients and reducing a major problem that they suffer on an almost daily basis. This spray could change the meaning of life for these EB patients who find it hard to properly talk, chew, or brush their teeth. Though many people consider these things for granted but for a patient of this rare genetic skin disease, speaking like a normal person, eating anything, and brushing the teeth daily is all a dream.
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Dr. Liam Grover from the University of Birmingham is the lead researcher working on this oral spray. He says that his team is working on hydrogels which can easily adhere to a moist surface like the mucosal lining. He also shares their plans to use this same technique to deliver or transport other medicines that EB patients may need.
Right now, there is no cure for this rare genetic skin disorder, EB which is why patients don’t have many options to survive. Most people change their mouth movements and take care while speaking or eating so that the skin layer is not damaged. With this oral spray, they will be relieved to live a little normal life, if not complete.
The research team hopes that this product will reach its final form in the next two years.
