Gene therapy can be used to cure a patient suffering from ADA deficiency. Gene therapy is a collection of methods that allows the correction of a gene defect diagnosed in a child/embryo. ADA enzyme is crucial for the functioning of immune system. Deletion of the gene for adenosine deaminase results into ADA deficiency.
ADA deficiency in some children can be cured by transplant of the bone-marrow while in others it can be treated by enzyme replacement therapy, in which functional ADA is given to the patient by injection. The drawback of both of these approaches is that they are not completely curative in nature.
It may re-occur in nature as in the process of gene therapy, lymphocytes used are not immortal and a periodic infusion of such geneticallyengineered lymphocytes is required for the patient. Gene isolated form the bone-marrow cells producing ADA introduced into cells at early embryonic stages can be used for permanent cure.