gene therapy
Many diseases seen today are the result of a defective gene in the DNA of a person and can not be cured using traditional methods such as antibiotics or other medications. Diseases such as Muscular Dystrophy, Sickle Cell Anemia, or Adenosine Deaminase control the lives of many people with still no known cure. Due to our extreme progress in technology, it is now possible for humans to alter genes in a laboratory. This technique is known as gene therapy. Gene therapy is the process of replacing a defective gene inside a patient's DNA with a working gene that will function properly. There are four basic ways to go about this procedure. The first approach, which is the most common, is to insert a normal gene into a nonspecific location to replace a gene that is not functioning properly. The second technique is to swap the abnormal gene for a normal gene through a process called homologous recombination. The third method is to repair the abnormal gene and return it to its norm
Currently, experiments on humans with brain tumors have begun. The success of the treatment proved to be encouraging for the advancement of human gene therapy. Gene therapy is still experimental, but it has a promising potential to improve the lives of those who have fatal diseases or crippling disorders, and it's a very positive step for the entire medical community. In these experiments, patients were chosen who had severe tumors and were viewed as terminal with weeks to live. Gene therapy has a bright future outlook. Another controversial topic is the decision to perform gene therapy on an unborn child. Five of the eight patients studied showed tumor regression due to the gene therapy treatment. It must be delivered to the cell using a vector. The first use of human gene therapy illustrates its potential healing power. Ashanti did not have a normal immune system and was susceptible to basically any type of infection. There is always the debate about what is considered normal, and what is a disability, and who gets to decide between the two. Scientists use viruses because they have a unique ability to enter a cell's DNA. Experiments continue to be conducted on brain tumors and several other kinds of cancer and hopefully one day we will have the knowledge and technology to eliminate them forever.
Common topics in this essay:
SCID Ashanti,
Adenosine Deaminase,
,
gene therapy,
Ashanti DeSilva,
human gene therapy,
positive step,
defective gene,
brain tumors,
human gene,
abnormal gene,
normal gene,
medical community,
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