On/Off Mechanism For Gene Therapy
(Via Betterhumans). Some of the most promising new research into cures for age-related conditions is based on gene therapy; editing cellular behavior by changing genes. So it is good to see that scientists are progressing rapidly towards increasingly sophisticated - and thus safer, and more effective - gene therapy technologies: "A new method has been developed for switching genes on and off that could greatly improve gene therapy. ... Until now, researchers working to develop successful gene therapy for diseases such as Parkinson's have hit roadblocks such as toxic side-effects from over-expression of the therapeutic gene, and adverse events caused by immune system reactions to the viral delivery systems currently used to deliver the therapeutic genes. Now, we've engineered a genetic switch in a novel gene transfer vector that will overcome those barriers and set the stage to allow the next phase of research to occur."