NUMEROUS gene therapy trials have been put on hold after a second child in a French trial developed a leukaemia-like disease. In both the affected children, the added gene landed in the wrong place, turning on a gene that increases the chances of getting cancer.
The bad news is that this may happen far more often than thought. But if the researcher analysing the cases is right, the risks may be due to the nature of the gene added in this trial and the timing of the treatment, rather than the method of adding genes with retroviruses. If confirmed, this…
