Current Gene Therapy - Volume 16, Issue 5, 2016

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic syndrome characterized by progressive marrow failure. Gene therapy by infusion of FA-corrected autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) may offer a potential cure since it is a monogenetic disease with mutations in the FANC genes, coding for DNA repair enzymes [1]. However, the collection of hCD34+-cells in FA patients implies particular challenges because of the reduced number Read More

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited DNA disorder clinically characterized by congenital malformations, progressive bone marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. Due to a strong survival advantage of spontaneously corrected ‘normal’ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in a few patients, FA is considered a model disorder for genetic correction of autologous stem cells, where genetically corrected stem cells and their progeny Read More

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represent an invaluable tool in a chromosomal instability syndrome such as Fanconi anemia (FA), as they can allow to study of the molecular defects underlying this disease. Many other applications, such as its use as a platform to test different methods or compounds, could also be of interest. But the greatest impact of iPSCs may be in bone marrow failure diseases, as iPSCs could represen Read More

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive, multisystem DNA repair disorder with prominent defects in the hematopoietic stem cell maintenance that result in the progressive attrition and failure in the early school age. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has proved curative for patients with suitable donors. This, along with the characteristic survival advantage of phenotypically normal over non-corrected FA ste Read More

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative treatment for patients with the non-malignant bone marrow failure syndrome called Fanconi anemia (FA). However, early and late complications associated with this approach underscore the need for alternative treatments. Gene therapy approaches aiming to correct the genetic defect in the patient’s own hematopoietic stem cells remain the mo Read More

Background: Elabela (ELA) is a recently identified apelin receptor agonist essential for cardiac development, but its biology and therapeutic potential are unclear. In humans, ELA transcripts are detected in embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, kidney, heart and blood vessels. ELA through the apelin (APJ) receptor promotes angiogenesis in vitro, relaxes murine aortic blood vessels and attenuates high bl Read More