The X-factor In February, 2001, there was an air of euphoria in the corridors of the Necker Hospital for Sick

Children in Paris. An incredible transformation was happening to an 11-month-old baby boy in an airtight bubble. In fact, history was being made there. For the first time, doctors had used their knowledge of the genes involved in a fatal disease to cure it. After years of experiments, gene therapys promise to correct natures flaws was being brought to life. Now that the human genetic code has been cracked, more and more of those flaws will come within reach of repair. When the little boy was admitted to hospital, he was facing death from a rare inherited disorder called X-linked SCID, a disease that causes children to be born without a working immune system. The slightest infection can be deadly. For several days, the boy lay in his bubble and his only direct contact with his mother, father and nurse was through plastic gloves. Meanwhile, doctors took out a few million of his bone marrow cells and managed to insert a healthy gene in them. Then they put them back a single, simple infusion of 20 to 30 millilitres of fluid. In every persons bone marrow there is a group of cells known as stem cells. When they receive the right chemical signals, they multiply to become red and white blood cells. It took half an hour to give the boy what they hope will be a lifetime of normal immunity. Within 15 days, doctors knew from tests that the new gene was working. But the marvel for the parents was watching the change in their sickly, underweight boy. Before their eyes, he began to get better. The ugly red blotches on his skin faded away, his diarrhoea disappeared, he put on weight and his breathing became easier. Three months after the infusion, the boys astonished parents were told they could take him home. There he remains, a normal, healthy child. Despite the initial optimism, this first achievement of gene therapy will have to be further proved over time, as it might not be so successful in treating other genetic diseases. Nevertheless, it is a major step forward in gene therapy. Since that first step, treatment of three other children in the Hospital has also turned out well. A fifth boy has done less well, because the disease had already caused serious complications, but the doctors are pressing ahead with further trials, and similar gene therapy is to be carried out in London.

euphoria Euphoria has often been defined as an affective state of exaggerated well-being or elation. Euphoria may also occur with diseases affecting the nervous system. flaws Flaws are like the flip side of feats. We all have flaws, but I unfortunately have far more than many. cracked Cracking is the process whereby complex organic molecules are broken down. Cracked was a famous American humor magazine, founded in 1958. infection infection relates to invasion of pathogenic microorganisms in a bodily part or tissue. Over 30 different types of Staphylococci can infect humans. stem A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes. multiply Rule of multiplication: segregation of the alleles into gametes is like a coin toss. multiplication (botany) is an increase above the normal number of parts, especially of petals. marvel marvel is most often used to denote strong surprise, astonishment. We marveled that they walked away unhurt from the car accident. underweight The term underweight refers to a human who is considered to be under a healthy weight. A number of underweight people are fit and well, they simply have a slender constitution. blotches Genetic predisposition and autoimmune diseases are the major causes of blotches on skin. Look, my pen leaked and blotched my shirt pocket! fade away fade away means to become weaker, to dissolve, to fade out. As they went away from us the sound of their voices gradually faded out. diarrhoea/diarrhea Diarrhoea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day, or more. Diarrhoea often goes away without treatment after a few days. infusion Economies of many countries are in need of regular capital infusions today. infusion refers to the therapeutic introduction of fluid other than blood into a vein. optimism Optimism psychology is in the field of cognitive science, it is not magic. optimism can be understood as positive thinking, the state of having hopefulness. complications Complication, in medicine, is an unfavorable evolution of a disease. Alcoholism is a common disorder that leads to significant medical complications.

Give your own examples using: transformation, airtight, airtight bubble, code, repair, admit, admitted to hospital, inherited, insert, deadly.