04-18-2019, 09:35 AM
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47969367
US scientists say they used HIV to make a gene therapy that cured eight infants of severe combined immunodeficiency, or "bubble boy" disease.
Results of the research, developed at a Tennessee hospital, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The babies, born with little to no immune protection, now have fully functional immune systems.
Untreated babies with this disorder have to live in completely sterile conditions and tend to die as infants.
The gene therapy involved collecting the babies' bone marrow and correcting the genetic defect in their DNA soon after their birth.
This is clearly a very severe disease, which prevents those suffering from it from living a normal life, so I'm glad to see there's a cure now!
Though, I'd like to ask: is the use of HIV necessary, and is it going to leave the patients with any lasting side-effects? If so, is there anything else which can be used which might be safer?
US scientists say they used HIV to make a gene therapy that cured eight infants of severe combined immunodeficiency, or "bubble boy" disease.
Results of the research, developed at a Tennessee hospital, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The babies, born with little to no immune protection, now have fully functional immune systems.
Untreated babies with this disorder have to live in completely sterile conditions and tend to die as infants.
The gene therapy involved collecting the babies' bone marrow and correcting the genetic defect in their DNA soon after their birth.
This is clearly a very severe disease, which prevents those suffering from it from living a normal life, so I'm glad to see there's a cure now!
Though, I'd like to ask: is the use of HIV necessary, and is it going to leave the patients with any lasting side-effects? If so, is there anything else which can be used which might be safer?
Board Information and Policies
Affiliation | Coffee Credits | Ranks and Awards | Name Changes
Account Deletion | BBCode Reference
Moonface (in 'Woman runs 49 red lights in ex's car')' Wrote: If only she had ran another 20 lights.
(Thanks to Nilla for the avatar, and Detective Osprey for the sig!)
My Items