Retroviruses are commonly employed as the vectors for gene therapy, due to their unique ability to penetrate the cells of the patients. It involves the isolation and molecular correction of mutations in the patients own haematological stem cells, followed by transplantation of the functional cells back into the patient. In the past few years, gene therapies for SCID have been explored. Hence, the timely diagnosis and donor identification are of paramount importance. Transplantations carried out within first three months after birth have been reported to be the most successful. The transplanted stem cells, once adapted, form healthy T and B-cells inside the body of the host which further multiply on their own.Ī perfect HLA-type matched sibling is an ideal choice as a donor, however if an ideal match is not available, the stem cells can also be transplanted from an unrelated or partially related donors, albeit with lesser success ratio. Stem cells are usually taken from the bone marrow or other blood components of a related donor with matching tissue type. To date, the most effective cure for SCID is stem cell transplantation. Despite being an expensive lifelong intervention, it is practiced due to the lack of other viable options in many cases. The patients with specifically identified enzyme deficiency such as ADA deficiency SCID may receive enzyme replacement therapy employing periodic injections of the deficient enzyme. Exploring the potential utility of calcium channel inhibitors in SARS-CoV-2 infection.Even though not being an absolute cure, physicians also often administer immunoglobulins via intravenous infusion to help build the body’s defense mechanism.
Therefore, the blood being transfused should be made free from lymphocytes through radiation. While carrying out blood transfusion to the patient with SCID, the foreign lymphocytes can attack the body of the host due to poor immune defense. For patients with severe infections, doctors may primarily give antibiotics to treat the infections however it does not treat the underlying condition (SCID). Therefore, unlike other infants, the immunity of SCID patients cannot be strengthened by administration of vaccines. Provisional treatment optionsĭue to a compromised immune system, infants with SCID develop infections even when they are administered with the vaccines containing weakened viruses or bacteria. Timely diagnosis and treatment can make a life-saving difference.
Other economic and simpler method of identification is by differential blood cell counting soon after the birth. However, with the advent of awareness and advanced techniques, SCID can be diagnosed during pregnancy, through the analysis of prenatal (of a fetus) or post-natal DNA sequencing, which can be performed much before the onset of infections. SCID was traditionally diagnosed after the development of several lethal recurrent infections. Other possible loci for SCID-related mutations are adenosine deaminase (ADA), JAK3 pathway, alpha chain of interleukin (IL)-7receptor, CD3, CD45 chains etc. Till date, fourteen different types of SCID have been identified, the most common being X-linked SCID (XSCID), which is caused by a mutation in the IL2RG gene on X-chromosome. Immunologically, compromised infants become prime targets for numerous life-threatening infections. SCID is most often inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) is a rare genetic condition characterized by a lack of B- and T-lymphocytes, which form part of the adaptive immune system.