Sunday, June 5, 2016

SB-728 Patient on Year 2 of Treatment Interruption

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36439260

The world's first gene-editing trials took place in California, involving a different technique, ZFNs. Around 80 patients with HIV had immune cells in their blood removed.
Scientists then deleted a gene called CCR5 which HIV uses to gain entry to cells. The treatment is based on a rare, gene mutation which gives some people a natural immunity to the disease.
Matt Chappell
One of the volunteers was Matt Chappell, 52, who has lived with HIV most of his adult life and witnessed the devastating impact that HIV/Aids has had on the gay community in San Francisco.
Matt has been off all antiretroviral medication for two years since having his immune cells gene edited.
These were small trials so caution is needed before reading too much into the results, but they are nonetheless extremely promising.
The HIV treatment was created by Sangamo Biosciences of Richmond, California, which has the exclusive licence for ZFN technology.
The company is about to begin patient trials in the serious blood-clotting disorder haemophilia and is also working on a treatment for beta thalassemia.

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