The Human Applications Laboratory (HAL) of the Institute of Human Gene Therapy (IHGT) was established in 1993 to provide manufacturing capability for pilot human experiments. This facility provided clinical grade retrovirus for an ex vivo trial of gene therapy in familial hypercholesterolemia. More recently HAL has focused on recombinant adenoviruses providing support to six clinical trials including those involving cystic fibrosis and ornithine transcarbamylase. The concept of HAL has evolved to incorporate production, quality control and development of improved methods for manufacturing. The pilot manufacturing facility recently underwent substantial renovations and restructuring to allow the concurrent production of different classes of vectors. An important priority is the development of manufacturing and purification methods for adeno-associated virus (AAV). Clinical grade production of AAV should come on-line later this spring with planned applications to a number of genetic diseases such as hemophilia, retinitis pigmentosa, lysosomal storage diseases, and inherited myopathies.
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