A promising step forward for Teigan

Teigan

We introduced you to Teigan several months ago.  The four year old from Scotland is waiting for gene therapy which could cure her of her genetic disorder called Severe Combined Immune Deficiency or SCID. 

Teigan's condition means she's incredibly vulnerable to infections which could make her seriously ill. 

She has a form of SCID called SCID-ADA which means her body doesn't produce a particular enzyme which breaks down waste products.

These waste products build up in her body and kill the blood cells which fight infections. 

She has regular PEG-ADA injections to replace the missing enzyme but these aren't a long term solution. 

Bone marrow transplants can be used to treat SCID but the survival rate isn't as high as many parents would like.

Teigan's doctors at Great Ormond Street in London decided that gene therapy was the most promising option but their first attempt was unsuccessful.

"I read a leaflet about Jeans for Genes and thought how awful it would be to have a child with a genetic disorder.  Three weeks later Teigan was diagnosed with one herself."  Teigan's mum, Claire

Teigan with her mum and dad

Gene therapy involves removing cells from Teigan's bone marrow and inserting a healthy copy of the gene which tells her body to make the enzyme. 

The cells are then put back into her bone marrow and they 'educate' the other cells around them.

Doctors at GOSH took some of Teigan's bone marrow a few months ago.  Using their new methods, they carried out gene therapy in a test situation in their lab.  

Teigan's parents, Claire and Stephen, have just had the results and the trial has been a great success.

She's scheduled to go back to Great Ormond Street Hospital later in the year to have gene therapy. 

We'll let you know how she gets on.