Gene Therapy
Gene Therapy is a relatively new treatment that is seeing potential for curing genetic problems in the future. This treatment is pretty experimental at the moment. Gene Therapy is where we get a vector typically a virus and we reprogram it to carry out the task that a cell is not doing, like producing a protein. We then infest the cells not producing this protein with the virus so it can do the job for the cell. With this treatment if the vector acts accordingly this is a 1 shot fix and will fix their problem for the rest of their life, which is one of the amazing benefits of gene therapy.
Greatest advancement
some of the greatest advancements in gene therapy was finding different vectors that work and can be used in different cases to cure patients. This is really big because gene therapy is a very narrow treatment and can’t be used widely with the limitations of the vector. with more vectors it opens up who can be treated with different vectors being superior to others in different parts of the body.
How is this form of biotechnology best used?
This biotechnology is being used currently to treat patients with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia, AIDS and most notably cystic fibrosis where it is seeing lots of success producing proteins to take over the job of the defective proteins with little side effects.
How is this form of biotechnology changing the world as we continue to advance towards the future?
Gene Therapy shows lots of promise in fixing all genetic disease and problems in the future, but still needs lots of work perfecting and manipulating the vectors to do exactly what needs to be done. So far we are seeing lots of success with curing cystic fibrosis but maybe we will be able to solve other genetic problems and with a bigger success in the nearby future.
Bibliography:
“Gene Therapy Breakthroughs.” Discovery On Target, www.discoveryontarget.com/gene-therapy/16.
“Gene Therapy News.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/gene_therapy/.
Gonçalves, Giulliana Augusta Rangel, and Raquel de Melo Alves Paiva. “Gene Therapy: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives.” Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Instituto Israelita De Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823056/.
Genetic Science Learning Center. (2012, December 1) Approaches To Gene Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/genetherapy/approaches/
Genetic Science Learning Center. (2012, December 1) What is Gene Therapy?. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/genetherapy/intro/