Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. The first clinical gene therapy was given for treating adenosine deaminase deficiency. A four-year old girl became the first gene therapy patient on September 14, 1990 at the NIH Clinical Center. Adenosine deaminase deficiency, also called ADA deficiency or ADA-SCID is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder that causes immunodeficiency. ADA deficiency is due to a lack of the enzyme adenosine deaminase.