Scientists have discovered a gene responsible for a devastating and life-threatening skin disease. The skin of babies with Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI) dries out to form hard diamond-shaped plaques, severely restricting their movement. Most die soon after birth, but an increasing number are now surviving. The research led by Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, in the American Journal of Human Genetics, may lead to new treatments.
