Strange but true! This disease can turn you into a stone

Lucknow: Do you remember when Hermione from Harry Potter was Petrified on the date of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Well, what if I tell you humans in real life also can get petrified or actually turn into a stone. You won't believe me right? But it's true!

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Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an extremely rare connective tissue disease. It is a severe, disabling disease with no cure or treatment and is the only known medical condition where one organ system changes into another.

Trauma, such as a fall or invasive medical procedure, or a viral illness may trigger episodes of muscle swelling and inflammation (myositis). These flareups lasts for several days to months and often result in permanent bone growth in the injured area. FOP is almost always caused by a mutation at the same place in the ACVR1 gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. This condition occurs in about 1 in 1,600,000 newborns and about 800 people worldwide are known to have FOP.

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FOP has a major impact on patients’ lives. FOP causes difficulty of movement, joint stiffness, and can lead to difficulties with eating and breathing. Most patients with FOP are bedridden by age 20 and have a life expectancy of 40 years. Patients with FOP must adjust their lifestyle so as to not quicken the progression of their condition by being careful to avoid injury, which means not playing contact sports and avoiding falls. As the disease continues to progress, patients eventually become unable to perform simple tasks of daily life such as cooking or bathing.

Carli Henrotay, 23, from Saint Louis, Missouri, is one of 800 people known to have fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). The crippling condition, which is currently incurable, gets progressively worse over time and patients have a life expectancy of around 40.

Her back is 'a sheet of bone', she has to use a wheelchair to get around while her jaw only opens a few millimetres.She is also extremely fragile, as patients with FOP live in fear knowing minor injuries can trigger the acceleration of bone growth. At the age of five, doctors diagnosed the condition by chance when they noticed she had big toes shorter than her other toes - a tell-tale sign.

Here, have a look at her:

Stone Man Syndrome currently has no treatment, and although there is research into finding a treatment for the disease, the disease’s rarity and patient fragility make it difficult to study. Despite these obstacles scientists are making progress, finding creative ways to create a treatment for this peculiar disease.

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