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Science 5 June 1998:
Vol. 280. no. 5369, pp. 1593 - 1596
DOI: 10.1126/science.280.5369.1593
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Reports

Ribozyme-Mediated Repair of Sickle beta -Globin mRNAs in Erythrocyte Precursors

Ning Lan, Richard P. Howrey, Seong-Wook Lee, * Clayton A. Smith, Bruce A. Sullenger dagger

Sickle cell anemia is the most common heritable hematological disease, yet no curative treatment exists for this disorder. Moreover, the intricacies of globin gene expression have made the development of treatments for hemoglobinopathies based on gene therapy difficult. An alternative genetic approach to sickle cell therapy is based on RNA repair. A trans-splicing group I ribozyme was used to alter mutant beta -globin transcripts in erythrocyte precursors derived from peripheral blood from individuals with sickle cell disease. Sickle beta -globin transcripts were converted into messenger RNAs encoding the anti-sickling protein gamma -globin. These results suggest that RNA repair may become a useful approach in the treatment of genetic disorders.

N. Lan, S.-W. Lee, B. A. Sullenger, Center for Genetic and Cellular Therapies, Departments of Surgery and Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
R. P. Howery, Center for Genetic and Cellular Therapies, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
C. A. Smith, Center for Genetic and Cellular Therapies, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
*   Current Address: Department of Molecular Biology, Dankook University, Seoul, Korea.

dagger    To whom correspondence should be addressed: E-mail: sulle001{at}mc.duke.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)