Hailey-Hailey disease is an unusual blistering skin disease inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Its characteristic histologic abnormality is acantholysis - the loss of cohesion of keratinocytes of the mid epidermis. Because of the importance of that cohesion to the functioning of stratified squamous epithelia and because of the past lack of success of efforts to understand the basis of this disease, we are proposing a molecular genetics approach to the study of this disease. Preliminary to this proposal we have used linkage analysis in four large Hailey-Hailey families to exclude candidate genes - those encoding cloned proteins possibly important in keratinocyte cohesion - and to localize the gene to chromosome 3q.
Our specific aims now are (A) recruitment of additional Hailey-Hailey patients and narrowing further the Hailey-Hailey gene region (B) Physical mapping of the genetically-delimited Hailey-Hailey disease gene region and identification of the Hailey-Hailey gene (C) Identification of mutations in the Hailey-Hailey gene in multiple kindreds and (D) Establishment of whole celll and whole animal models demonstrating the effects of the expression of mutant Hailey-Hailey gene products. The successful completion of these studies not only will illuminate the defect underlying this classical genodermatosis and hopefully thereby lead to new, effective therapies for these patients but also should afford important new undestandings of the mechanisms of inter-keratinocyte cohesion, which is so critical to the integrity of all stratified squamous epithelia.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR043119-04
Application #
2732860
Study Section
General Medicine A Subcommittee 2 (GMA)
Project Start
1995-07-15
Project End
1999-06-30
Budget Start
1998-07-01
Budget End
1999-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California San Francisco
Department
Dermatology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94143
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Aszterbaum, M; Rothman, A; Johnson, R L et al. (1998) Identification of mutations in the human PATCHED gene in sporadic basal cell carcinomas and in patients with the basal cell nevus syndrome. J Invest Dermatol 110:885-8