Karnataka: Medical College Hospital gets ₹5.5 crore ICMR grant for research on rare skin disorders

Epidermolysis bullosa includes a group of inherited disorders in which minor friction or trauma can cause blisters and sores. | Image to illustrate | Photo credit: GORODENKOFF

Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), located at Muddenahalli in Chickballapur district, has received a research grant of ₹ 5.5 crore from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop affordable diagnostic and precision treatment approaches for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare genetic disorder that causes extreme skin fragility.

The grant of ₹ 5,50,08,874, awarded over four years, will support the ADAPT-EB project — Development of Accessible Diagnostics and Affordable Precision Therapies for Epidermolysis Bullosa in the Indian Population. The project will be led by doctors Vamsi Krishna Yenamandra, co-investigators Divya Seshadri and Manoj Srinivasa from SMSIMSR and Sharath Chandra Konda from SVS Medical College, Mahbubnagar.

EB includes a group of inherited disorders in which minor friction or trauma can cause blisters and sores. Patients may experience chronic wounds, scarring, nutritional complications, and an increased risk of skin cancer.

The project seeks to address diagnostic and treatment gaps in India, where there is currently no national EB registry and access to affordable molecular diagnostics and coordinated multidisciplinary care remains limited, according to SMSIMSR.

Focus on affordable diagnostics

One key goal is to develop low-cost, targeted genomic tests that could reduce diagnostic costs by more than 60% compared to whole-exome sequencing. The tests are also expected to have applications in carrier identification and prenatal screening.

Researchers will also study “revertant mosaicism,” a naturally occurring genetic self-correction observed in some cells, to explore its potential in developing patient-specific regenerative therapies.

An integrated approach to precision medicine

The researchers said the project would bring prevention, prediction, diagnosis, regenerative therapy and genotype-guided disease management into one framework.

The aim is to generate evidence that can support earlier diagnosis, improve genetic counselling, and make therapeutic options available to people with EB in India.

Dr. Yenamandra said EB poses a major challenge to patients and families, especially when specialized diagnosis and care are difficult to access. “ADAPT-EB is designed to address this gap,” he said.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 21:25 IST