THE talents of two killer viruses, HIV and Ebola, may one day be combined to
create a powerful new type of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis and other lung
diseases.
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes premature death by
clogging the lungs and gut with mucus. About 6500 people in Britain have the
condition. The aim of gene therapy is to restore normal function to the affected
cells by delivering working genes via genetically engineered viruses.
But few viruses are able to successfully infect most cells of the airways
because these cells divide slowly or not at all.…
