A NEW dedicated gene therapy hub for the north of England will fast-track treatments for diseases and conditions which are at present incurable.
The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC) in Sheffield will be one of three hubs in the UK dedicated to advancing the development of new genetic treatments.
It is part of an £18m network created by LifeArc and the Medical Research Council, with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Professor Sherif El-Khamisy, Director of the Institute Cancer Therapeutics. who led the University of Bradford in the consortium of the successful bid, said: “Gene therapy has huge potential. It has already led to cures for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy. In the future, we will be looking at conditions like motor neurone disease, Alzheimer’s and rare cancers.
“This centre also means we will have capacity to convert fundamental discoveries into actual products, instead of giving them away to the US.
“Gene therapy will be subject to strict regulatory approvals and clinical trials. There are disorders which cannot be cured by traditional therapeutics - gene therapy is expected to deliver cures for those disorders.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here