Philly Gene Therapy Renaissance

Sangamo collaborators mentioned in article:

"

Philadelphia's gene therapy community last week marked another milestone in its resurgence when locally based Spark Therapeutics said its most advanced product helped restore some vision in patients suffering from a rare eye condition during a clinical trial. The company plans to apply for FDA approval next year.
Philadelphia was in some minds the gene therapy hub in the late 1990s, until an 18-year-old man died during a clinical trial by University of Pennsylvania researcher James M. Wilson. The death set back the field for years.
But now, Philadelphia is among the hubs, with research centers, companies, and dozens of researchers trying to cure diseases by injecting genetic material in people's cells to correct mutations.
"The little-known secret in this narrow space called gene therapy - now a little less narrow - is that Philadelphia is the best place because of the concentration of talent," said Spark

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20151011_Gene_therapy_headline_here_in_1_line_of_36-point_type.html#kZmaOhmV5mPIKBsm.99