A Cure??

For as long as I can remember, the nutritionists I go to have been taking about a cure for PKU being only 2 or 3 years away. Well, that hasn't happened obviously. But it does give one hope to think about it.

The last time I went to my nutritionist's office (4 years ago), they told me that scientists were working on a pill or tablet that with subside the symptoms of PKU temporarily. I thought that would be great, but once you think about it... It "subsides the symptoms" well that couldn't do much good. That means I could eat all the protein I wanted and it would still affect me internally. The only difference there would be that I wouldn't feel depressed or aggressive.

Recently, I stumbled onto this article online that was dated in 2005. It talked about shots in the liver might cure PKU. The scientists, Dr. Woo and Li Chen, first started with mice that had PKU. They developed a shot that was administered to the liver of each of the mice.


The scientists were able to cure PKU in mice with just three injections. The levels of phenylalanine in the treated mice dropped to a normal range and remained stable thereafter. Their fur color changed from grey to black, that means that the body was producing normal levels of melanin, or pigment, which is under produced in mice and humans with PKU.

This is promising to me, and all others who are affected by PKU. I pray that it is able to be given to humans very very soon.

Until next time,
Phe


http://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/Preclinical-Research/New-gene-therapy-technique-cures-PKU