Gene therapy grows skin to save dying child

Doctorsin Europe used genetherapy to grow sheets ofhealthy skin that saved the lifeof a 7-year-old boy with a geneticdisease that had destroyedmost of his skin, the teamreported Wednesday inthe journal Nature.

This was by far the most body surface ever covered in a patient: 9 square feet.

Theboy’s disease, junctional epidermolysis bullosa,causes extremely fragile skin that blisters andtears, and is prone to infectionsand skin cancer. Hehad been expected to diebut has recovered. Two yearsafter the treatment, hecontinues to have healthyskin, lead a normallife and even play soccer.The family asked that theirnames not be used to protectthe boy’s privacy.

Saudi blockade

NEWYORK — Millions will die from famine in Yemen if the Saudi-led coalition does not end its blockade and allow access, the U.N.’s emergency aid chief Mark Lowcock said Wednesday.

Humanitarian access to Yemen was inadequate even before the Saudi alliance cut off all access to sea- and airports in response to a missile fired at Riyadh by Houthi rebels on Saturday.

Catalonia crisis

MADRID— Almost two weeks after Spain’s government took control of Catalonia, the restive region’s independence movement is showing some signs of strain.

On Wednesday, demonstrators blocked dozens of roads and railway lines across Catalonia as part of a general strike protesting the recent jailing of former members of the regional government. But the strike, coupled with a smaller street demonstration in Barcelona than on other recent occasions, had relatively limited impact.

Separately, the two main Catalan parties confirmed that they would not campaign together for independence ahead of regional elections in December, after disagreeing over how to renew the joint ticket that brought them to office in late 2015.