THE BELEAGUERED field of gene therapy has received a boost from a promising
new DNA treatment for the most common form of haemophilia.
Early tests of the method, which loads patients’ fat tissue with cells
containing DNA for factor VIII, a key clotting agent, have proved effective and
safe.
The tragic death of 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger in a trial last year marked a
low point in the history of gene therapy. But in the past 12 months, impressive
results in treating inherited immune disorders, cancer and chest pain suggest a
revival is on the way.
Now David Roth of Beth…
