Gene Therapy for Diseases

Gene Therapy has made important medical advances in less than two decades. Within this short time span, it has moved from the conceptual stage to technology development and laboratory research to clinical translational trials for a variety of deadly diseases. Among the most notable advancements are the following:

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (ADA-SCID) ADA-SCID is also known as the bubble boy disease. Affected children are born without an effective immune system and will succumb to infections outside of the bubble without bone marrow transplantation from matched donors. A landmark study representing a first case of gene therapy "cure," or at least a long-term correction, for patients with deadly genetic disorder was conducted by investigators in Italy. The therapeutic gene called ADA was introduced into the bone marrow cells of such patients in the laboratory, followed by transplantation of the genetically corrected cells back to the same patients. The immune system was reconstituted in all six treated patients without noticeable side effects, who now live normal lives with their families without the need for further treatment.

Chronic Granulomatus Disorder (CGD) CGD is a genetic disease in the immune system that leads to the patients' inability to fight off bacterial and fungal infections that can be fatal. Using similar technologies as in the ADA-SCID trial, investigators in Germany treated two patients with this disease, whose reconstituted immune systems have since been able to provide them with full protection against microbial infections for at least two years.

Hemophilia Patients born with Hemophilia are not able to induce blood clots and suffer from external and internal bleeding that can be life threatening. In a clinical trial conducted in the United States , the therapeutic gene was introduced into the liver of patients, who then acquired the ability to have normal blood clotting time. The therapeutic effect however, was transient because the genetically corrected liver cells were recognized as foreign and rejected by the healthy immune system in the patients. This is the same problem faced by patients after organ transplantation, and curative outcome by gene therapy might be achievable with immune-suppression or alternative gene delivery strategies currently being tested in preclinical animal models of this disease.

Other genetic disorders After many years of laboratory and preclinical research in appropriate animal models of disease, a number of clinical trials will soon be launched for various genetic disorders that include congenital blindness, lysosomal storage disease and muscular dystrophy, among others.

Cancer Multiple gene therapy strategies have been developed to treat a wide variety of cancers, including suicide gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, anti-angiogenesis and therapeutic gene vaccines. Two-thirds of all gene therapy trials are for cancer and many of these are entering the advanced stage, including a Phase III trial of Ad.p53 for head and neck cancer and two different Phase III gene vaccine trials for prostate cancer and pancreas cancer. Additionally, numerous Phase I and Phase II clinical trials for cancers in the brain, skin, liver, colon, breast and kidney among others, are being conducted in academic medical centers and biotechnology companies, using novel technologies and therapeutics developed on-site.

Neurodegenerative Diseases Recent progress in gene therapy has allowed for novel treatments of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease, for which exciting treatment results have been obtained in appropriate animal models of the corresponding human diseases. Phase I clinical trials for these neurodegenerative disorders have been, or will soon be, launched.

Other acquired diseases The same gene therapeutic techniques have been applied to treat other acquired disorders such as viral infections (e.g. influenza, HIV, hepatitis), heart disease and diabetes, among others. Some of these have entered, or will soon be entering, into early phase clinical trials.

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Gene Therapy for Diseases | ASGCT - American Society of Gene ...