Going to cure congenital olfactory loss?

For the first time in a laboratory a gene therapy has successfully restored olfactory ability in mice, opening new hopes for treating congenital olfactory loss or human illness.

Through a study of mice suffering from cilia, the scientists at Michingan Medical University have found a defect of an IFT88 protein that causes lack of cilia throughout the rat's body, affecting the sense of smell. These mice are anorexic and easily die early. If in humans, this genetic defect is also easy to die.

Overcoming the fuzzy dysfunction opens hope of treating the sense of smell

To restore the sense of smell, the scientists inserted normal IFT88 gene into mouse cells by using a common flu-inducing virus with normal DNA sequences, allowing the virus to infect and insert DNA into the cells. mouse's own cell.

Results, eating habits and olfactory neurological signals of rats were restored within 14 days after the 3-day treatment. The mouse was able to sniff Amyl acetate.

Research has yielded a type of gene therapy that is important not only in the treatment of human loss of smell, but also in many other diseases related to cilia. Such as polycystic kidney disease, pigmentary inflammation in the eye, and rare genetic disorders in Alstrom syndrome, Bardet-Biedl .

Reference: Zeenews