Dr. James Wilson, the director of the gene therapy institute, did not take telephone calls today.
In the meantime, a team of independent scientists, appointed by Dr. Judith Rodin, Penn's president, is also reviewing the gene therapy institute's work.
In addition, the gene therapy institute will stop manufacturing the genetically altered viruses that are used to introduce genes into cells, known as vectors.
Dr. Rodin's announcement came in conjunction with the release of a report by an independent panel of experts that evaluated the gene therapy institute at her request.
Given the committee's findings, Dr. Inder Verma, a panel member, said Dr. Rodin had two choices: She could either give the gene therapy institute more staff members and outside supervision, or restrict it to basic scientific research.
But Genovo contributes one-fifth of the $25 million annual budget at the gene therapy institute, and in return has exclusive rights to develop Dr. Wilson's discoveries into commercial products.
The company contributes a fifth of the $25 million annual budget at the gene therapy institute, and in return has exclusive rights to develop Dr. Wilson's discoveries into commercial products.
The scientist who ran a gene therapy study that killed an 18-year-old patient at the University of Pennsylvania will no longer conduct experiments on people, and the prestigious gene therapy institute he founded is being scaled back, university officials announced today.
The rhesus monkeys on a calorie-restriction diet in the study have significantly more young T cells an important component of the immune system and these T cells can proliferate vigorously, says Janko Nikolich-Zugich, senior scientist at the Oregon Health and Science University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, who led the research.
If this approach fails to control the retinal vasculitis, then BD or other non-infectious causes of retinal vasculitis must be considered and immunomodulatory therapy instituted with caution.
