Patients with the rare genetic disorder X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) are in some cases living longer thanks to a biological phenomenon known as “somatic reversion”, according to recent research. Somatic reversion is when an abnormal gene suddenly becomes normal.
The somatic reversion was found in only a small group of immune cells, but was enough to provide XLP sufferers with an immunity to the Epstein Barr VIrus (EBV). EBV is usually deadly for XLP patients.
In the future, researchers hope to be able to incorporate their somatic reversion knowledge into gene therapy treatments for XLP and other genetic disorders.
Read more at Garvan Institute