Treating Genetic Disorders with Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy

With our current society rapidly advancing in both the technological and medicinal world, many new treatments have been born that can be used to treat genetic conditions that regular antibiotics and surgeries simply have no positive or progressive effect. Gene therapy is when a newly developed gene is transferred, or introduced, to an already existing gene, it is the attempt to treat one’s genetic disorder at the molecular level and could significantly improve the human population and provides hope to people with disabilities. Gene therapy goes straight to the source and alleviates symptoms of the disorder. The gene receiving this new development is in some shape or form, mutated, or defective. If the gene therapy is a success, then it stops the gene from causing any further damages and restores the cell to its normal functioning self. Gene therapy was first introduced as a part of human trials in 1990. The idea behind gene therapy is to correct dysfunctional genes and make the patient’s life easier and more livable.
Gene therapy begins with locating the dysfunctional gene. The most complicated part of gene therapy is the transportation of a new gene into another. The new gene data is most commonly inserted into an adeno-associated virus, which is a vector, this virus disallows the potential harm that might be within the body because it does not have the necessary genes to spread an illness in the human body and there are no known causes of this virus infecting humans. The virus, or vector, infects only the targeted cell.
There are certain requirements for something to be considered a vector before it is used. A vector must be able to Target the right cells, next step would be Integrate the gene in the cells, th...

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...r a better alternative, to those who are hoping their offspring have better and healthier lives, gene therapy can make that happen. Diseases such as hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, Gauscher’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and more can be made into a rarity. People are unsure of gene therapy because of how new it is, they berate gene therapy, but for some people, gene therapy may be their only chance to live.

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