AIDS virus used in gene therapy to cure immune disorder in babies

All but two out of 50 children with combined immunodeficiency syndrome now have healthy germ-fighting abilities.

An experimental gene therapy that makes use of an unlikely helper, the AIDS virus, has successfully treated 48 out of 50 children who were born without an immune system due to a deadly disorder, a new study shows. Such results were published on Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an online American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy conference. All but two of the 50 children who were given the experimental therapy as part of the study now have healthy germ-fighting abilities.