Surviving ’butterfly disease’

Researching into options for treating EB: Maximilian Kückelhaus ( left ) and his chief, Tobias Hirsch, who holds the chair of Plastic and Reconstructive Suregery at Münster University. WWU - L. Jeremies The skin is the largest organ of the human body. But what if the skin "disintegrates" at just the slightest touch? This is exactly what happens with Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), sometimes also known by the name 'butterfly disease'. This skin disease is based on genetic defects and, because there is no cure, it can be fatal, often even in young patients. But there is hope: in 2015, a team of therapists from Germany and Italy were the first to be able to save a patient whose skin surface was 80 percent destroyed. Whether the treatment would be successful in the long term - and the skin remain stable - was not clear at the time. Plastic surgeons Dr. Maximilian Kückelhaus and Prof. Tobias Hirsch from the University of Münster applied themselves to this question - and, together with the colleagues in their team - were able to verify the long-term success of this experimental treatment.