50 Years Ago Health & Medicine 50 years ago, enzyme injections showed promise for treating a rare disease Excerpt from the April 28, 1973 issue of Science News Today, several rare diseases are treated via enzyme replacement therapy, and scientists have even found a way to treat one disease before a person is even born. Malte Mueller/fStop/Getty Images Plus Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Maria Temming May 8, 2023 at 7:00 am First successful enzyme therapy in humans — Science News, April 28, 1973 Fabry’s disease … [is caused by] a faulty fat-metabolizing enzyme called alpha-galactosidase.