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If you’ve never heard of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), you’re not alone. This rare genetic disease, which occurs in one of 20,000 births, creates fragile skin that tears at the slightest touch and results in blisters, sores and scar tissue. There is no cure. EB sufferers who are fortunate enough to survive into adulthood often die from skin cancer by their mid-40s.
Last month, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder was invited to tour Dr. Jakub Tolar’s lab at the University of Minnesota’s Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Tolar conducts research on rare genetic diseases, including EB. Apparently Vedder enjoyed the tour because he invited Dr. Tolar to tour his workplace – in this case it was the Xcel Energy Center Stage in Minnesota.
Watch one rock star pay tribute to another one here:
And here:
To learn more about EB, watch this (spoiler alert: adorable little boy involved):
Read this link for some recent advances in the science, care of stem cells.
Our regular feature, Right Turn, showcases the “lighter” side of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Every Friday, we will bring you cartoons, photos, videos and other content that may be just as thought provoking as the written submissions that you are used to finding here, but they definitely won’t be blogs.
As always, we welcome your feedback and we also welcome suitable submissions. Be creative! Use the right (!) side of your brain. Make us laugh! Let’s see if we can make this new direction a positive one for all of us. Send your submission to info(at)ccrm.ca.
Stacey Johnson
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