T-cell gene therapy.

In the past year, a number of human gene therapy trials involving the adoptive transfer of genetically modified T lymphocytes have been reported. These include trials of adenosine deaminase gene transfer in children with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome, a gene-marking study of Epstein-Barr virus-specific cytotoxic T cells, and trials of gene-modified T cells expressing suicide or viral resistance genes in patients infected with HIV. Additional strategies for T-cell gene therapy currently being pursued in the clinic involve the engineering of novel T-cell receptors that impart antigen specificity for virally infected or malignant cells.