NEWS 28 May 2024 Correction 30 May 2024 The immune system can sabotage gene therapies — can scientists rein it in? People treated with gene therapy cannot receive a second dose for fear of a dangerous immune response. Researchers hope to find a way around this. By Heidi LedfordNEWS 28 May 2024 Correction 30 May 2024 The immune system can sabotage gene therapies — can scientists rein it in? People treated with gene therapy cannot receive a second dose for fear of a dangerous immune response. Researchers hope to find a way around this. By Heidi Ledford

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01483-w?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=29096efd03-nature-briefing-daily-20240529&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-29096efd03-50432164 How to stop immune system sabotage Researchers are trying to prevent the immune system from attacking the relatively harmless viruses that are used in gene therapy to shuttle restorative genes into cells. Gene therapy can treat conditions including blood disorders, and degenerative eye and muscle diseases. But many people can’t receive more than one dose because they have antibodies against the gene-therapy viruses. Animal studies suggest that it’s possible to dampen the body’s ability to disable the viruses. There are also attempts to use other viruses that can better evade the immune system, or deliver genes inside protective fatty particles.