Gene Therapy for Immune Disorder Lasts 9 Years, Studies Show

Fourteen of 16 children with the rare immune disorder sometimes called “bubble boy disease” were well enough to attend school from two to nine years after they were treated, showing the benefit is maintained over time.

The rare illness, affecting about 40 to 100 babies each year, leaves them unable to fight germs, making any infection potentially deadly. Researchers corrected genetic flaws in the children’s bone marrow to enable their immune systems to function, and have followed the children’s progress since.