Gene therapy for lysosomal storage disorders

Abstract

Deficiencies in one or several of the numerous degradative enzymes that reside in the lysosome often result in one of many clinically severe diseases, almost all of which have no currently available therapy. Although bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacement and substrate inhibition therapies are being considered, gene therapy represents an increasingly attractive approach, particularly for those lysosomal storage diseases with neurological manifestations. This review summarizes the most recent advances in developing gene therapies for this large and heterogeneous group of disorders.