Vical Inc., based in San Diego, injects genes without putting them into any kind of virus.

Rather than inject entire genes, the company's technology will just "correct the typos" in the patient's own genes.

It was to inject genes into a newly fertilized egg, implant the embryo into a female's uterus, and allow the fetus to grow to term.

The ideal will be when a nurse can grab a syringe down from the shelf and inject genes into whoever needs them.

Doctors removed bone marrow from her pelvis into which will be injected specially altered genes which are responsible for making the cells of the immune system.

But injecting genes directly into the body could also pose risks because it might not be easy to control what the genes do.

Injecting genes to block myostatin could help not only those with muscular dystrophy but also anyone suffering the routine loss of musculature that comes with aging.

The technique uses a retrovirus to inject genes into the developed cell.

The researchers created the animal by injecting selected genes into an embryo within a female mouse immediately after conception.