Establishment of a system in which type VII collagen and laminin 5 or their genes are continuously delivered from the dermal side to the basement membrane zone

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Epidermolysis bullosa is caused by mutations in the genes encoding structural proteins of basement membrane zone. Especially, the subtypes resulting from type VII collagen and laminin 5 genes showed severe phenotype and low quality of life. These structural proteins are thought to be produced by epidermal keratinocytes. Many dermatological investigators intend to introduce the causative genes to keratinocytes and to supply those gene products to basement membrane. The aim of this study was to establish a system in which type VII collagen and laminin 5 or their genes were continuously delivered from the dermal side to the basement membrane zone. We succeeded in purification of a large amount of recombinant type VII collagen last year. The injection of the protein induced deposition of type VII collagen in the basement membrane zone. Also injection of gene-transferred fibroblasts enabled type VII collagen to go into the basement membrane. Furthermore, implantation of these fibroblasts in scaffold increased the amount of type VII collagen in the basement membrane zone. Thus, we think that we can achieve establishment of the system in which type VII collagen and laminin 5 or their genes are continuously delivered from the dermal side to the basement membrane zone.