Prospects of gene and cell therapy for managing cardiac complications in Friedreich ataxia

Charles J Isaacs, Julianna E Shinnick, Kimberly Schadt, David R Lynch & Kimberly Y Lin; Expert Opinion on Orphan Drugs, Published online: 02 Sep 2015 DOI: 10.1517/21678707.2015.1083854

The state of research into gene and cell therapy for cardiac issues in FRDA is one that deserves cautious optimism. As these therapies move closer to testing in humans, researchers will need to identify proper dosing and delivery methods based on the nature of the patient’s disease, as well as which patient groups are most likely to realize benefits from proposed treatments. Future studies must further assess risk in larger animals and plan ways to minimize risk in human trials.