A new type of gene therapy may help stop in young people the progression of emphysema, according to a recent research.

Scientists from the Boston University School of Medicine recognized a change in the alpha-1 anti-trypsin gene as the most common cause of emphysema in young adults following information published in the online issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation on December 21.

A new study shows a different approach tested on mice that targets cells known as alveolar macrophages to deliver the gene therapy to the lungs with this form of inherited emphysema could treat the condition for two years, according to Dr Andrew Wilson; the study clarifies that lung macrophages may be targeted for further studies on gene therapy.

Researchers stated that emphysema had no cure and was a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath.

Agreeing to Dr Wilson’s finding Darrell Kotton, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology at the Boston University School of Medicine, in a news release said, "The lung macrophages carrying the therapeutic gene survived in the lungs' air sacks for the two-year lifetime of the treated mice."