BBC News Article: "Boy with rare condition amazes doctors after world-first gene therapy"
Read the full articleRead the article carefully and answer the following questions.
1. What is Hunter syndrome also known as?
2. How old was Oliver when he received the gene therapy?
3. What does Hunter syndrome cause the body to be unable to produce?
4. How many boys worldwide received the treatment in this trial?
5. Where is the laboratory that modified Oliver's cells located?
6. What is used to insert the missing gene into Oliver's cells?
7. How many stem cells were injected into Oliver during the treatment?
8. What is the approximate annual cost of Elaprase, the traditional medicine for Hunter syndrome?
9. Hunter syndrome typically affects which gender?
10. How long had Prof Simon Jones been waiting to see a patient doing as well as Oliver?
Learn these important words from the article.
astounded
Definition: shocked or greatly surprised
Example: The doctors were astounded by Oliver's progress.
devastating
Definition: causing severe shock, distress or destruction
Example: Hunter syndrome is a devastating disease.
inherited
Definition: passed down from parents through genes
Example: Hunter syndrome is an inherited condition.
enzyme
Definition: a substance that speeds up chemical reactions in the body
Example: Oliver's body couldn't produce a crucial enzyme.
gene therapy
Definition: treatment that involves altering genes to treat or prevent disease
Example: Gene therapy offered hope for Oliver's condition.
stem cells
Definition: cells that can develop into different types of cells in the body
Example: Stem cells were removed from Oliver's blood.
pioneering
Definition: being the first to develop or use new methods
Example: The team developed a pioneering treatment.
ground-breaking
Definition: innovative and new; breaking new ground
Example: This was a ground-breaking medical trial.
progressive
Definition: increasing or advancing gradually over time
Example: The disease causes progressive damage.
cognitive
Definition: relating to mental processes like thinking and understanding
Example: The treatment helps with cognitive symptoms.
1. What are the potential benefits and risks of gene therapy?
2. How might this treatment change the lives of children with Hunter syndrome?
3. Why do you think it took 20 years for this treatment to be developed?
4. Should gene therapy treatments be made available to everyone, regardless of cost?