DEBRA Research forms strategic alliance with Queen Mary University to accelerate epidermolysis bullosa therapeutics
Global nonprofit DEBRA Research has established a preclinical research collaboration with Queen Mary University of London to enhance drug development capabilities for epidermolysis bullosa, addressing critical bottlenecks in therapeutic advancement for this rare genetic skin disorder through innovative academic-philanthropic partnership models.
A groundbreaking collaboration between DEBRA Research gGmbH and Queen Mary University of London promises to transform the therapeutic landscape for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), establishing critical infrastructure to support international drug development efforts for this devastating rare disease. The partnership, announced on 7 August 2025, will position Queen Mary’s Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research as a centralised hub for preclinical testing services, addressing what researchers identify as a major obstacle in EB therapeutic development: access to high-quality preclinical models.
Addressing critical research infrastructure gaps
DEBRA Research will support the establishment of specialised testing capabilities within the laboratories of Dr Emanuel Rognoni and Dr Matthew Caley at Queen Mary’s Blizard Institute. This infrastructure will serve the broader international EB research community, encompassing academic institutions, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical organisations.
“Through this partnership, the outstanding preclinical capabilities of Dr. Rognoni’s and Dr. Caley’s teams at Queen Mary University of London will become accessible to the wider EB research community, from academia to biotech and pharma,” said Dr Christoph Coch, Managing Director at DEBRA Research. “Access to high-quality preclinical models remains one of the major bottlenecks in EB drug development.”
EB represents a complex genetic disorder characterised by extremely fragile skin that develops blisters and wounds from minimal friction or trauma. The condition results from pathological variants in genes encoding proteins essential for maintaining skin structural integrity, yet currently lacks curative treatments.
Complementary research expertise drives therapeutic innovation
The collaboration leverages distinct but complementary research specialisations within Queen Mary’s skin biology programmes. Dr Rognoni’s laboratory investigates fibroblast biology, examining how different connective tissue cell populations contribute to development, healing, ageing, and disease processes. Meanwhile, Dr Caley’s research focuses on the basement membrane zone – a critical structural interface governing skin stability and repair mechanisms.“Epidermolysis bullosa presents a vastly complex biological challenge that we still don’t fully understand,” said Dr Emanuel Rognoni. “This collaboration allows us to establish the infrastructure needed to offer our preclinical expertise on rare skin diseases to the EB research community, and to empower our future collaborators to develop new therapeutic strategies.”
Novel partnership model for rare disease advancement
Beyond its immediate research objectives, the collaboration represents what DEBRA Research characterises as a scalable cooperation model between academic institutions and philanthropic organisations. Dr Coch emphasised that this framework “could be replicated across other conditions to benefit millions of patients.”
Dr Caley highlighted the translational focus of the partnership: “Working with DEBRA Research gives us a chance to align our scientific work with a translational mission. This collaboration is an important opportunity to advance EB research and drive real impact.”
