‘Dead as Doornail’ Gene Therapy Revival Spurs Genzyme
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Five years ago, doctors drilled a hole into Jean Erickson’s skull, pushed in a needle and injected a cold virus modified to help transport a gene into her brain.
The gene’s job was to create a mini-factory within her brain cells to pump out dopamine, a chemical that regulates physical movement. Since then, Erickson has lived more comfortably with Parkinson’s disease, a disorder that robs patients of mobility.