Lenti in red: progress in gene therapy for human hemoglobinopathies.

Hemoglobinopathies are caused by abnormal structure or synthesis of hemoglobin chains and represent serious monogenic disorders. A new study demonstrates that lentiviral vectors can express clinically relevant levels of human transgenic beta-globin in red cells of xenografted mice. While some safety concerns must be addressed, this study is an important step toward potential clinical trials of gene therapy for hemoglobinopathies.