Researchers report that gene therapy has successfully treated four children with severe combined immunodeficiency disorder, more popularly known as the “bubble boy” disease.The finding appears in the Dec. 17 issue of The Lancet.The genetic disorder first came to public awareness in the 1980s when David Vetter, a Texas boy with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), was housed in a bubble to prevent infections before he died.With SCID, the immune system, especially the white blood cells, don’t function properly. Persons with the disorder are at high risk of catching infections.In the new study, the researchers first removed stem cells, which are immature cells capable of differentiating into many types of cells, from the children’s own bone marrow.
