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 normal functions. The last approach is to simply turn the gene on or off. In general, a gene cannot be directly inserted into a person's cell. It must be delivered to the cell using a vector. The most common types of vectors used in gene therapy are viruses. Scientists use viruses because they have a unique ability to enter a cell's DNA.
             The first use of human gene therapy illustrates its potential healing power. At age four, Ashanti DeSilva received therapy for a genetic condition called severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). Ashanti did not have a normal immune system and was susceptible to any type of infection. The gene therapy she received involved modifying her white blood cells by inserting correcting DNA into them. The success of the treatment proved to be encouraging for the advancement of human gene therapy. Now over forty somatic cell gene therapies have been approved.
             Gene therapy has a bright future outlook. Currently, experiments ...