BCL11A-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease passes key preclinical test

A precision-engineered gene therapy virus, inserted into blood stem cells that are then transplanted, markedly reduced sickle-induced red-cell damage in mice with sickle cell disease, researchers from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The work sets the stage for bringing a decades-old discovery about sickle-cell disease to the bedside. A clinical gene therapy trial, using a virus rendered harmless in the laboratory, is expected to launch in the coming year.