Bone marrow transplantation for genetic disorders.
In 1967, a congenital disorder, severe combined immune deficiency disease, (SCID), was the first condition to be successfully corrected by bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from a histocompatible matched sibling donor. Since then the number of inherited disorders in which BMT has been used has been greatly extended. In preface, it should be stressed that BMT represents only one aspect of the management of genetic disorders which includes first and foremost detection and prevention by antenatal screening. Enzyme replacement treatment and the development of genetic engineering techniques to correct the underlying fault are being actively explored. However, reliable screening programmes are only feasible in a minority of disorders, of which thalassaemia is an example. Enzyme replacement treatment has been largely unsuccessful, and despite considerable advances in the understanding of gene regulation, at present BMT represents the only practice capable of correcting genetic disorders and improving the quality of life of affected individuals.
Department of Haematology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
J
J
Barrett
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D
McCarthy
D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000601:surgery*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000601:surgery; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000601:surgery; D014019:Tissue Donors