Babies could be treated for genetic disorders while they are still in the womb, if a research breakthrough by Oxford scientists is successfully developed.

Oxford BioMedica, based at Oxford Science Park, Sandford, and Imperial College, London, announced scientists had achieved "very efficient gene transfer" to mice embryos in utero.

If the technology could be reproduced in humans, it has the potential to cure diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy -- the most common type of the condition -- and cystic fibrosis, which are currently incurable.

The scientists presented their results at the American Society for Gene Therapy meeting in Boston. One in 3,000 boys inherit a non-functional "dystrophin" gene and suffer from muscular dystrophy. They are confined to a wheelchair from about the age of 10 and on average can expect to die at 20.

The disease causes severe muscle weakness and affects every muscle in the body.

If children or adults were treated with gene therapy, every muscle in the body would need to receive a new gene. This is not feasible using many current gene therapy techniques because the tissue volume is too great.

Scientists at Imperial College used BioMedica's highly-efficient gene therapy technique known as LentiVector.

At the US meeting, Dr Mike Themis, of Imperial College, showed gene transfer to a wide range of tissues following administration of LentiVector to the foetal blood supply. Dr Themis said: "In utero, gene therapy opens many exciting opportunities to treat people with these severely debilitating and fatal diseases before suffering occurs.

"We hope that one day this may be offered to parents as an alternative to termination of pregnancy."

Oxford BioMedica chief executive, Prof Alan Kingsman, said: "We're very pleased to have provided the gene delivery technology for this work at Imperial College.

"We are currently evaluating product opportunities as well consulting on the regulatory and ethical issues."