First child to receive gene therapy for Hunter Syndrome shows stunning recovery

The world's first gene therapy receiver kid, Oliver Chu, has stunned medical professionals with his progress against an inherited disease.

Oliver inherited a disease called Hunter syndrome, which is often described as childhood dementia. The disease causes damage to brain and body and in severe cases, patients die before the age of 20.

Oliver had a faulty gene that made it impossible for his body to produce an enzyme responsible for keeping cells healthy. 

In a historic first, doctors at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital tried to halt the disease by altering the child’s cells using gene therapy.

Oliver received the treatment in December 2024 and nearly one year later, parents revealed that he was developing normally.

In an interview with BBC News, Oliver’s mother Jingru said, “Every time we talk about it I want to cry because it’s just so amazing.”

The co-leaders of the medical team behind the ground-breaking treatment, Prof Simon Jones said, “I have been waiting 20 years to see a boy like Oliver doing as well as he is, and it’s just so exciting.”

Prof Jones is delighted by Oliver’s rapid recovery. However, he expressed caution, stating, “We should not get carried away in the excitement of all this.”

Oliver is one of the five boys who volunteered for the groundbreaking gene therapy. All the kids will be observed for two years and if the trial appears to be a success, the treatment could be licensed.