Placental gene therapy

David, Anna L.; Ashcroft, Richard

doi:10.1016/j.ogrm.2009.06.002

« Previous Next »Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine
Volume 19, Issue 10 , Pages 296-298, October 2009

Placental gene therapy

Anna L David MB ChB MRCOG PhD is Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Prenatal Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK

Richard Ashcroft MA PhD FIBiol is Professor of Biomedical Ethics at the Queen Mary University of London, School of Law, London, UK

Abstract

Gene therapy uses genetic material as a drug delivery vehicle to express therapeutic proteins. Placental gene therapy may be useful for correction of two important obstetric conditions, foetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia in which there is a failure of the physiological trophoblast remodelling of the uterine spiral arteries in early pregnancy. The patient in this scenario is the foetus. Placental gene therapy might be justifiable when: there is reasonable certainty that the foetus will suffer irreversible and substantial harm without the intervention; the intervention is safe and effective; the risk to the health of the mother is negligible; and the mother can give informed consent to the intervention.

Keywords: foetal therapy, gene therapy, medical ethics, placenta