Types of Gene Therapy

Scientists report that a single dose of an experimental gene therapy boosted production of a missing blood-clotting factor in people with hemophilia. The therapy could provide a long-term solution for preventing dangerous bleeding.

Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective.

Severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, is a term applied to a group of inherited disorders characterized by defects in both T and B cell responses, hence the term "combined." The most common type of SCID is called XSCID because the mutated gene, which normally produces a receptor for activation signals on immune cells, is located on the X chromosome.