Word: viii
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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DIED. KENNETH BRINKHOUS, 92, University of North Carolina medical researcher who developed the first effective treatment for hemophilia; in Chapel Hill, N.C. Brinkhous' early research showed that some hemophiliacs could not produce a bloodclotting protein that was later dubbed Factor VIII. One of his seminal discoveries was a way to use blood plasma to aid in replacing the missing protein...
...experiment, sponsored by Transkaryotic Therapies Inc., Roth and his research team harvested skin cells from each of six test patients, added DNA for Factor VIII to these cells and surgically implanted the cells into each patients' abdomen. At least four of the six patients improved their prognoses...
...said after the therapy some of the patients in the study had higher levels of the needed Factor VIII, which is necessary for blood clotting, than before receiving the gene therapy...
...study did achieve Factor VIII to levels of 2 to 4 percent in some patients," White said. "These people progressed from severe hemophiliacs to moderately severe hemophiliacs...
Currently, hemophiliacs can use bio-engineered Factor VIII to treat themselves, but at very high cost, White said...