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Cutaneous mosaicism: right before our eyes
Jorge Frank, Rudolf Happle
Jorge Frank, Rudolf Happle
Published May 1, 2007
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2007;117(5):1216-1219. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI32111.
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Commentary

Cutaneous mosaicism: right before our eyes

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Abstract

Autosomal recessive cutaneous disorders, including various types of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), usually manifest shortly after birth. The clinical course of these diseases is often characterized by severe complications, limited therapeutic options, and a poor prognosis. A study by Pasmooij et al. reported in this issue of the JCI unravels the molecular mechanisms by which germline mutations in non-Herlitz junctional EB can be corrected in vivo by multiple spontaneously occurring somatic mutational events, a phenomenon known as revertant mosaicism (see the related article beginning on page 1240). These insights open new avenues of thinking for the design of future gene therapy strategies for skin diseases.

Authors

Jorge Frank, Rudolf Happle

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Figure 1

Schematic representation of postzygotic mechanisms that may give rise to revertant mosaicism in an individual compound heterozygous for an autosomal recessive phenotype.

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Schematic representation of postzygotic mechanisms that may give rise to...
Two corresponding chromosomes carry either the paternal (blue) or maternal (pink) mutation. Various mutational events may result in cells showing loss of compound heterozygosity (bottom row). As a consequence, these cells will produce either a functional protein (black boxes), a semifunctional protein (gray box), or no protein at all (white boxes). Reproduced with permission from the American Journal of Medical Genetics (19).

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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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