Children born with X-linked severe combined immune deficiency (X-SCID) disorder don’t have any resistance power. They live in a sterile ‘bubble’. Even slight contagion can kill them. X-SCID is linked to a gene called IL2RG. It plays a key role to ensure the continued existence and production of lymphoid cells.
The research team replaced the flawed IL2RG with a correct version, which delivered into the body inside a harmless ‘Trojan horse’ virus. But the experiment failed. The children died because of Leukemia. The researchers of different countries stopped all trials.
The probe blamed the insertion of the IL2RG. It activates LMO2, which causes cancer. Further the scientists implant IL2RG genes into 15 mice, genetically modified to have X-SCID symptoms.
Third of 15 mice treated developed T-cell lymphomas over a monitoring period of 18 months. Despite of different suspicions over the experiment, it has given a hope to cure the X-SCID.
Read