Gene therapies must become miracles of medicine
Otherwise they might end up a niche treatment for a small number of patients in rich countries
In 2018, when he was 13, Ethan Ralston’s eyesight started to get blurry. The diagnosis was devastating. He had been born with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (lhon), a rare genetic disorder that eats away at the cells of the optic nerve until it causes blindness.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “The trials of gene therapy”
Briefing
August 27th 2022
From the August 27th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
The transactional world Donald Trump seeks would harm not help America
Ukraine, Gaza and China will all test his self-interested approach to diplomacy
Donald Trump is a reckless president, but not yet a lawless one
He has yet to flatly defy a court order, which would initiate a constitutional crisis
America’s military supremacy is in jeopardy
To win future wars it needs new weapons, new suppliers and a new system of procurement
Online scams may already be as big a scourge as illegal drugs
And they are growing fast
Even in India, bureaucracy is being curtailed
Many small steps could make a big difference
Many governments talk about cutting regulation but few manage to
Yet radical deregulation is often a big boost to growth