New Approach to Gene Therapy
An interesting new approach to gene therapy is outlined at the New Scientist: "Take an artificial chromosome containing the gene to correct a serious disease, put it in a stem cell, and transplant into the body. That is the future of gene therapy, according to Mitsuo Oshimura of Tottori University in Japan. Oshimura's team has now proved that the concept works by correcting a genetic defect in mouse stem cells." A diversity of approaches to engineering our DNA is a good thing: greater diversity leads to faster, greater success. The road that starts with correcting single gene defects leads to technologies capable of repairing all the random age-related damage to our DNA - restoring our genomes to pristine condition and turning back the clock on one of the root causes of degenerative aging.
Link: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025553.900.html