Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 11 December 2009:
Vol. 326. no. 5959, pp. 1468 - 1469
DOI: 10.1126/science.326.5959.1468-b
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

News of the Week

Gene Therapy:

β-Thalassemia Treatment Succeeds, With a Caveat

Jocelyn Kaiser

Gene therapy researchers are approaching a key milestone: They appear to have controlled an inherited blood disorder called β-thalassemia that's more common than any disease treated so far with gene therapy. A young man who received new genes to repair blood cells no longer needs regular transfusions and, 2 years later, seems healthy. Describing this success last week to a U.S. review panel in Bethesda, Maryland, a researcher added a caveat: The inserted gene may have turned on growth signals, raising the potential for cancer.

Read the Full Text

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)