Challenges for today’s transformative gene and cell therapies

Gene editing and cell therapy have revolutionized medicine and given patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses an increased chance for remission or, potentially, even a cure. But these new treatments still face significant hurdles before their use can become widespread and their full potential realized.

Access is one issue, and varying regulations from country to country can also pose difficulties. Many of the therapies themselves have limitations, including cost and risks that have kept them from being used safely and effectively.

Meanwhile, companies are already fighting over the next generation of gene-editing tools, raising the possibility of patent fights that could rival the battle over intellectual property rights to CRISPR-Cas9. And even as gene editing and cell therapy treatments explode in number and expand in scope, scientists are realizing that the future is likely to contain as many challenges as it does astounding advances.

The stories in this e-book highlight the potential for today’s transformative gene and cell therapies and the challenges that need to be overcome to get there.