Essay about The Pros and Cons of Gene Therapy - 2362 Words

What is Gene Therapy and what is it used for? Gene therapy (otherwise known as somatic gene therapy or therapeutic gene therapy) is a process that is used to correct defective genes responsible for development of various diseases. (www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BA/Gene_Therapy_Overview.php) There are two main types of gene therapy; somatic (body) cell gene therapy and germ line gene therapy. As it suggests, somatic gene therapy is correcting the faulty genes of normal body cells. Germ line therapy is altering genes in gametes. Everyone on earth carries a few defective genes. Most of us are unaware of this fact however, unless we are afflicted with a genetic disease. Approximately one in ten people have, or will develop, a disease that is†¦show more content†¦This is because viruses are able to deliver their genes to human cells (such as the influenza virus) which usually are pathogenic. Scientists have removed that original disease causing genes of the viruses and insert the needed correct genes for the human target ce lls. (www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/therapy/genetherapy) The target cells are then infected with the virus vector. The vector then unloads its genetic material (which contains the needed correct genes) to the target cell. The correct gene is then able to generate the correct functional protein and so restores the target cell to the normal state. (www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/therapy/genetherapy) The reason why carrier molecules are usually needed is because otherwise correct genes could only be inserted in certain tissues and would require a large amount of DNA. (www.ndsu.nodac.edu/instruct/mcclean/plsc431/students/bergeson.htm) The second method is called ex vivo technique, and involves surgically removing cells from affected tissues, injecting the new DNA that will correct the disease into the cells and letting the cells divide by mitosis in an artificial medium. The new, corrected tissues are then placed back into the affected area of the patient. (Lyon, 1995) The reason why this method is not as often used as in vivo is due to the fact that the patient will then have to undergo two separate surgeries, one to get the tissue, and one to put the fixed tissue back.Show MoreRelatedThe Pros and Cons of Gene Therapy671 Words   |  3 PagesGene therapy is deemed to be the ‘use of genes as medicine’. â€Å"Gene therapy is a form of therapy that involves inserting one or more corrective genes that have been designed in the laboratory, into the genetic material of a patients cells to cure a genetic disease by replacing the missing or malfunctioning genes† (Mandal). There are two types of gene therapy, which are in vitro gene therapy, which takes place outside the body and in vivo therapy, which takes place inside the body. 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