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Our focus this week on Healthwatch is on genetic research. Scientists study the way genes work so they can better understand what causes some diseases. This research can also lead to treatments or even to cures.
Researchers at UT Southwestern recently successfully tested the first gene therapy for skin cancer. They injected a normal gene into mice carrying a mutated version of that same gene - which causes a disease called xeroderma pigmentosum (zero-derma pig-men-TOE-sum). The disease causes lesions if the skin is exposed to UV light and raises the risk for skin cancer to 10,000 times higher than normal. The injections at UT Southwestern caused the mice to only suffer sunburn when exposed to UV light.
Based on these findings, researchers hope to develop a human treatment as people with xeroderma pigmentosum usually die at an early age.
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Jan. 2005
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