Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
BIology
Mrs. Horan
Ben Crooke
2/1/15
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) is an uncommon disease that is caused when a group of inherited diseases affect the bone marrow of a person by reducing the amount of T cells which affect the function of B cells (types of white blood cells) which causes a deficient immune system (National center for Biotechnology, 1). Those diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) can be cured at an early age, but after a few months of being undetected the disease is lethal (S. McGeady, 2012). To be treated for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) …show more content…
Also, the disease affects B cells which help to fight off viruses (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency in children, 1). Severe Combined Immunodeficiency became the first ever disease that was cured by gene therapy in a patient in 1990. Gene therapy was used to place a working gene into the bone marrow of a person with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, this worked with a girl in 1990 and she is still surviving to this day (Learning About Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, 1). There have been many other successful trials since then, but not a high enough success rate to call gene therapy the best cure for Severe Combined …show more content…
Scientists have found the cure to many genes that cause SCID but they haven't found the cure for all 13 genes that when mutated can cause SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency and Combined Immune Deficiency, 1) The most promise for the cure of SCID is gene therapy, even though it doesn't have to highest percentage of success rate it shows the most potential of being the cure of SCID (Media Availability: Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency,