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Prospects for gene therapy
Three research groups have reported their success with a novel approach to gene therapy in which inactive therapeutic genes are introduced into the body and then precisely controlled by administration of a pill which activates them for a predetermined time. This represents a new form of drug delivery according to the researchers and opens the door to many treatments not previously thought possible. The group led by James H Wilson, director of the Institute for Human Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania used a patented technology from the biotechnology company ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Ltd, known as ARGENT gene activity, to introduce the new genes into the organism via a muscle-directed approach. Using an engineered version of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, which achieves long term protein secretion without inducing an immune response, the researchers have introduced the gene for erythropoietin under control of the antibiotic rapamycin.
Radical proposals for clinical governance by the RCP
Radical and comprehensive proposals have been put together by the Royal College of Physicians of England to set standards of practice for physicians in the UK as part of the profession’s response to the government’s drive towards clinical governance. These include annual job review and performance appraisal by a clinical or medical director; a personal development plan for all doctors, which would include analysis of the doctor’s clinical performance in such activities as ward rounds and outpatient clinics, for instance, teaching, and research; a requirement to participate in all local and national audits and …