Gene Therapy Will Open an Entirely New Branch of Medicine

The basic concept behind gene therapy entails that a a medical practitioner identify a problem in the patient created by some genetic abnormality. This genetic abnormality is then targeted and then a different set of genes is delivered which replaces the abnormal set of genes, thus curing the condition. There have been restrictions on a form of gene therapy known as germ line gene therapy because the alterations would be passed to the children of the patient and there have been a host of legal and ethical questions raised about this sort of activity. However, great strides are being made in the field known as somatic gene therapy which only alters the genetics of the individual patient.
The actual process entails modifying a virus or cell. The virus then enters the cell and infects it with its new genetic code which has been coded to alter the disruptive DNA. However, part of the problem remains in the proper location for the injection of the DNA or RNA. Often the viruses don’t have a mechanism for targeting a specific location within the DNA and so the injection itself may cause errors. Nevertheless, there has been moderate success in clinical trials treating some hereditary diseases.
Even more progress has been made in treating cancer. Gene therapy offers a wide range of possible tools to combat cancer including injecting DNA to stop the cancer cells from reproducing to introducing modified white blood cells which have been altered to attack the cancer cells themselves. It has had some success in clinical trials of actually stopping cancer, but the technology remains too new to try in a universal fashion. However, it remains very promising and seeks to alter the entire landscape of medicine.
Not only will gene therapy give medical institutions the ability to treat previously untreatable disease, but perhaps will lead to a revolution in medical technology itself. Gene therapy could come to replace traditional drug treatments or certain other medical procedures if it could be altered to remedy other illnesses and diseases.

The basic concept behind gene therapy entails that a a medical practitioner identify a problem in the patient created by some genetic abnormality. This genetic abnormality is then targeted and then a different set of genes is delivered which replaces the abnormal set of genes, thus curing the condition. There have been restrictions on a form of gene therapy known as germ line gene therapy because the alterations would be passed to the children of the patient and there have been a host of legal and ethical questions raised about this sort of activity. However, great strides are being made in the field known as somatic gene therapy which only alters the genetics of the individual patient.
The actual process entails modifying a virus or cell. The virus then enters the cell and infects it with its new genetic code which has been coded to alter the disruptive DNA. However, part of the problem remains in the proper location for the injection of the DNA or RNA. Often the viruses don’t have a mechanism for targeting a specific location within the DNA and so the injection itself may cause errors. Nevertheless, there has been moderate success in clinical trials treating some hereditary diseases.
Even more progress has been made in treating cancer. Gene therapy offers a wide range of possible tools to combat cancer including injecting DNA to stop the cancer cells from reproducing to introducing modified white blood cells which have been altered to attack the cancer cells themselves. It has had some success in clinical trials of actually stopping cancer, but the technology remains too new to try in a universal fashion. However, it remains very promising and seeks to alter the entire landscape of medicine.
Not only will gene therapy give medical institutions the ability to treat previously untreatable disease, but perhaps will lead to a revolution in medical technology itself. Gene therapy could come to replace traditional drug treatments or certain other medical procedures if it could be altered to remedy other illnesses and diseases.

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