cicero
13 Jun 2007 21:17
|
Improvements In Haemophilia Therapies Addressed At Vienna Congress
An article from the Medical News Today gives an interesting account of some of the presentations at the recently held European Hematology Association Congress in Vienna. A major topic was the advances in gene therapy techniques, which seem to offer the hope of a cure for haemophilia sometime in the future.
Researchers are currently able to achieve an improvement in factor levels in patients, but they struggle to maintain the effect over time. Much effort is devoted to finding better ways of introducing the genes without causing the body to produce antibodies.
A novel approach is to remove cells from the body, modify them genetically and reintroduce them into the body. Specifically, experiments have been done where blood platelets have been modified so they produce clotting factors. If successful, this
While genetic engineering holds many promises, it will take years of additional research before it becomes a viable treatment option outside limited experiments.
Another avenue of research focuses on extending the half-life of clotting factors, meaning that full prophylaxis could be achieved with perhaps only one injection per week as opposed to the three to four weekly injections that are currently the norm. Results in this area are expected to be generally available within 5-6 years.
Create reply »
|