Gene therapy for primary adaptive immune deficiencies

Gene therapy has become an option for the treatment of 2 forms of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID): X-linked SCID and adenosine deaminase deficiency. The results of clinical trials initiated more than 10 years ago testify to sustained and reproducible correction of the underlying T-cell immunodeficiency. Successful treatment is based on the selective advantage conferred on T-cell precursors through their expression of the therapeutic transgene. However, “first-generation” retroviral vectors also caused leukemia in some patients with X-linked SCID because of the constructs’ tendency to insert into active genes (eg, proto-oncogenes) in progenitor cells and transactivate an oncogene through a viral element in the long terminal repeat. These elements have been deleted from the vectors now in use. Together with the use of lentiviral vectors (which are more potent for transducing stem cells), these advances should provide a basis for the safe and effective extension of gene therapy’s indications in the field of primary immunodeficiencies. Nevertheless, this extension will have to be proved by examining the results of the ongoing clinical trials.