The first solid evidence that gene therapy can work in the brain.

Encouraging
news on the gene therapy front: researchers have reported that gene
therapy improved the symptoms of patients suffering from Parkinson’s
disease. This is the first solid evidence that gene therapy can work
in the brain. Professor David Eidelberg, of the Feinstein Institute
for Medical Research in New York, reports in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences that injecting genetically altered
viruses into the subthalamic nucleus brought about a substantial
improvement in mobility. The experiment could be a model for treating
other brain diseases, especially epilepsy. However, the study was
small – only 12 patients – and there are lingering doubts that
improvement could be anecdotal or due to the placebo effect. ~
London
Telegraph, Nov 19

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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