2010 Science News of the Year: Body & Brain

David Vetter as todler in bubble with toys.
Credit: © Bettmann/Corbis

Gene therapy moves forward
Despite their promise, technologies to correct defective genes have been plagued by safety problems leading to unintended — and sometimes fatal — outcomes. But scientists are inching toward safer, more effective gene therapies that may one day treat a range of diseases, from psychiatric disorders to autoimmune diseases to cancers.