TAKE an artificial chromosome containing the gene to correct a serious disease, put it in a stem cell, and transplant into the body. That is the future of gene therapy, according to Mitsuo Oshimura of Tottori University in Japan.
Oshimura’s team has now proved that the concept works by correcting a genetic defect in mouse stem cells. “It’s a significant step forward,” says Bruce Bunnell, who heads a competing group at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Stem cells have great potential as a tool for gene therapy because they should divide and give rise to new tissues once transplanted in…
