| Updated Thu, January 26th 2017 at 07:43 GMT +3[PHOTO: COURTESY]Two babies rescued from previously incurable leukemia after receiving infusions of gene-edited immune cells are doing well at home more than a year after initial treatment, scientists said on Wednesday. Layla Richards became the first person in the world to get the "off-the-shelf" cell therapy developed by French biotech firm Cellectis at Britain's Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2015. Waseem Qasim, a consultant immunologist at the London hospital, said the two cases showed the gene-edited cells were working, although long term monitoring was still required. Initial Phase I clinical trials using the cell therapy, known as UCART19, are now underway in both children and adults. The idea of genetically altering immune cells called T cells so that they can attack cancers more effectively is currently one of the hottest areas of medical research.

Source: Standard Digital January 26, 2017 04:47 UTC