New gene therapy technique

A UK biotech firm has successfully used a new method to transfer genes into rabbits, and hopes to begin human gene therapy trials using the same technique next year. Researchers at Eurogene Ltd used a new, genetically altered virus, developed by a team of scientists at the University of Kuopio in Finland. Their findings were reported in this month's issue of the journal Gene Therapy.

The new gene delivery system - or vector - is a baculovirus, which is not pathogenic to humans, and can carry more genetic information than other virus vectors. Other gene therapy virus vectors, such as modified adenoviruses and retroviruses, can sometimes provoke an immune response in the body. This can destroy the vector before it has had chance to deliver the therapeutic gene to the target cells.