Fetal Biology and Correcting Select Genetic Diseases while Still in Utero

How can conditions be corrected in a child before they are even born? Fetal gene therapy may hold the key.

Listen in to learn:

How fetal surgery was introduced
How fetal genetic editing can be introduced
Where the genetic material can be introduced

William H. Peranteau, MD, is an attending surgeon in the Division of General, Thoracic, and Fetal Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Today he stops by to share his hope for the future of surgical possibilities for fetuses.

While the possibilities for fetal surgery have been speculated for decades, fetal genetic engineering is the bleeding edge of new techniques. By proving its efficacy to the FDA and the medical community at large, editing genetics may bring a wave of hope similar to the ability to operate in utero.

Though the technique is most effective if introduced as young as possible, the younger the patient is, the more complex the editing is. In the future, the hope is that procedures become more accessible by reducing the demanding requirements on both the patient and medical staff.

To learn more, visit https://www.chop.edu/doctors/peranteau-william-h.

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C