Individuals with EB lack critical proteins that bind the skin's two layers together. Without these proteins, the skin tears apart, blisters, and shears off, leading to severe pain, disfigurement, and internal and external wounds that may never heal. 
 
It is estimated that 500,000 people worldwide have EB. Individuals with the most severe forms of EB have a life expectancy from early infancy to 30 years of age.

Today, there is no cure available for EB.
EBRP is dedicated to changing that.

Butterfly Children

Children with EB are often called “Butterfly Children” because their skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly. With skin this fragile, everyday activities that many take for granted like eating, sleeping, walking and playing can become monumental tasks.

Types of EB

​There are four main types of EB that vary in severity and the location of blister formation. In the more severe forms of EB, life expectancy ranges from early infancy to just 30 years of age. Click below to learn more about each type and meet an individual living with it.

heredity of eb

Genetic disorders, like EB, are usually passed down from parents to offspring. However, they also can be caused by a spontaneous DNA mutation in extremely rare cases. EBS and DDEB are passed down through dominant inheritance. This means only one copy of the mutated gene, from either the mother or father, is needed for a child to express the disorder. RDEB, JEB, and Kindler Syndrome are all passed down through recessive inheritance. This means that a child needs to get 2 copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent, to express the disease. Children can also be carriers of the gene, which means they're able to pass it down to their children, but do not express the disorder.

Treatments for eb

Since 2023, we have seen the first 3 FDA-approved EB treatments. These approvals are not only a landmark victory for individuals living with EB and their families, but also a huge milestone for the rare disease community at large. Click below to learn more about each treatment. 

Sources

“Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex - Genetics Home Reference - NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health,  2018, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/epidermolysis-bullosa-simplex.
“Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa - Genetics Home Reference - NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2018, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/junctional-epidermolysis-bullosa.​​
“Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa - Genetics Home Reference - NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2018, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/dystrophic-epidermolysis-bullosa.
“Kindler Syndrome - Genetics Home Reference - NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2018, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/kindler-syndrome.
“Dominant Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.” Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/2139/dominant-dystrophic-epidermolysis-bullosa.
Yancey, Kim B., and Helmut Hintner. "Non-herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa." Dermatologic clinics 28.1 (2010): 67-77.

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