Did a boy's life-saving gene therapy cause his brain tumour?

A five-year-old boy developed a mysterious brain tumour. Genetic sleuthing linked the tumour to a gene therapy he received four years earlier for a genetic disorder. The therapy involved administering a virus intended to deliver treatment. The virus was identified as the cause of the cancer. The case shows that a potentially life-saving treatment can, in rare circumstances, lead to serious adverse outcomes years later. The findings connect the timing of the tumour’s appearance with the earlier viral delivery used in the therapy.

"A mysterious brain tumour in a five-year-old boy has been linked to the potentially life-saving gene therapy he received four years earlier."

"Genetic sleuthing uncovers a rare case of cancer caused by a virus administered as part of a child's treatment for a genetic disorder."

Read at Nature