Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) may result from inherited deficiency of the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). Children with ADA-deficient SCID often die from infections in infancy, unless treated with either a bone marrow transplant or with ongoing injections of PEG-ADA (Adagen) enzyme replacement therapy. Successful BMT requires the availability of a matched sibling donor for greatest success, and treatment using bone marrow from a less-well matched donor may have a higher rate of complications. PEG-ADA may restore and sustain immunity for many years, but is very expensive and requires injections 1-2 times per week on an ongoing basis. This clinical trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of an alternative approach, by adding a normal copy of the human ADA gene into stem cells from the bone marrow of patients with ADA-deficient SCID. Eligible patients with ADA-deficient SCID, lacking a matched sibling donor, will be eligible if they meet entry criteria for adequate organ function and absence of active infections and following the informed consent process. Bone marrow will be collected from the back of the pelvis from the patients and processed in the laboratory to isolate the stem cells and add the human ADA gene using a retroviral vector. The patients will receive a moderate dosage of busulfan, a chemotherapy agent that eliminates some of the bone marrow stem cells in the patient, to "make space" for the gene-corrected stem cells to grow once they are given back by IV. Patients will be followed for two years to assess the potentially beneficial effects of the procedure on the function of their immune system and to assess possible side-effects. This gene transfer approach may provide a better and safer alternative for treatment of patients with ADA-deficient SCID.
Age range
1 Month – 18 Years
Sex
ALL
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Number of Participants With Adverse Events
Timeframe: 2 years