Advantages and Disadvantages of Gene Therapy

1508 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The ethics of gene therapy balancing the risks review

Considered one of the more controversial up comings in the world of science, it’s hard to ignore what amazing benefits gene therapy has to offer. With many potential treatments aimed to target some rather serious diseases, much support has been gained for the field. Although gene therapy remains at the forefront of change, much discussion has been created due to several potential drawbacks. These drawbacks, however substantial, must not be overlooked for the risk of lives isn’t a fair price to pay for innovation of healthcare reform.

Gene therapy is used as a way to treat or minimalize defective genes that lead to or cause diseases. Genes are hereditary units which are base sequences that provide the encoding instruction of a protein. Different proteins are made depending on what the specific amino acid sequence had encoded. Proteins can be different in size, shape, and function. Many times in the event of a mutation, genes become transformed so that the protein supposed to be encoded either isn’t produced or is made with inhibiting functionality, thus resulting in a potential genetic disorder. Therapy for this usually involves the implementation of new genes in cells to take the place of non-functioning or absent ones. This process involves a virus that is used to carry the genetic information to the patient’s cells. These viruses have been modified to find and detect specific problem target areas. To do this, scientists many times will use viral vectors, or vehicles that are used as the form of transportation for the virus.

Avoiding toxicity in the target cell is the elemental key in order for gene therapy to be successful. Certain viral vectors have proven to perform better than others with this. Retroviral vectors use ...

... middle of paper ...

...e in the Twenty-first Century. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Johnston, Josephine, and Françoise Baylis. (2004). "What Happened to Gene Therapy? A Review of Recent Events." Clinical Researcher 4: 11-15.

Leiden, Jeffrey M., (2000). “Human Gene Therapy: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Circulation Research 86:923-925.

National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature (NRCBL). (2002). "Scope Note 24: Human Gene Therapy." Available from http://www.georgetown.edu/research/nrcb l/publications/scopenotes/.

Orkin, Stuart H., and Arno G. Motulsky. (1995). "Report and Recommendations of the Panel to Assess the NIH Investment in Research on Gene Therapy." National Institutes of Health, 1995. Available from www.nih.gov/news/panelrep.html.

Verma, Inder M., and Nikunj Somia. (1997). “Gene therapy – promises, problems and prospects.” Nature 389: 239-242.

Show More
Related

  • Gene Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis

    1729 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gene therapy is the application of the technique where the defect-causing "bad" genes are replaced by correct "good" genes. The idea of gene therapy is to treat the disease by correcting the "bad" DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) rather than the current me thod of providing drugs, or proteins not produced by the defective gene. Gene therapy addresses the problem first hand by directly working with the genetic information causing the disease. From the book Shaping Genes, Dr. Darryl Macer says "It is like f ixing a hole in the bucket, rather than trying to mop up the leaking water." There are two kinds of gene therapy, somatic cell gene therapy and germline gene therapy.

    Read More

  • Gene Therapy Focusing on Hemophilia

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gene therapy is reinserting certain genes that helps deal with genetic diseases. There are three basic forms of this gene therapy. The first is Gene Inactivation Therapy in which the transferred gene neutralizes the proteins and evens out the amount or rids of the defective proteins. Another type is Gene Augmentation Therapy where the original form of the gene or the normal form of the gene is inserted into one of the cell’s chromosomes. This procedure is used normally when a gene with little activity or a deleted gene is the cause for the genetic disease. The third type of gene therapy is Gene Replacement Therapy. This form is used when the genetic disease involved specific genes that are necessary for proper functioning. The normal gene being put in place of the mutant gene accomplishes this form of gene therapy.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Cancer And Gene Therapy

    2435 Words  | 5 Pages

    ... fight the disease. It is crucial that regulation be a necessary component of gene therapy research and applications. In hopes that the government can regulate and can receive this treatment, not restricting it to people that has serious genetic diseases. Gene therapy will change the field of medicine from what it is today. As scientist discovers more genes and their functions, the potential of this treatment is limitless. Though gene therapy is an auspicious treatment choice for numerous diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the procedure remains precarious and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Thus government regulators and scientist must take a lead role in adopting a practical approach to address these issues and determining the correct procedures for dealing with them.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Human Gene Therapy

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human gene therapy is a method used in the medical field that treats diseases at a molecular level, by solving the source of the problem; our genes. Today, diseases and disorders are commonly treated by solving the symptoms, the surface of the problem. Many disorders and diseases are caused by defective proteins and within those defective proteins are damaged and defective genes. These defective genes can be treated through gene therapy. Gene therapy is not new and has been developed and improved by researchers for the past couple years. Being an experimental technique, gene therapy also has its pros and cons, but so far is showing positive and rising success rates.

    Read More

  • Ethics of Genocide and Eugenics

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ne starts life with an equal chance of health and success. Yet, gene therapy can also be thought of as a straight route towards a dark outlook, where perfection is the first priority, genes are seen as the ultimate puppeteer, and personal freedom to thrive based on one’s self isn’t believed to exist. With the emergence of each new technological discovery comes the emergence of each new ethical debate, and one day, each viewpoint on this momentous issue may be able to find a bit of truth in the other. Eventually, our society may reach a compromise on gene therapy.

    Read More

  • The Incredible Potential of Gene Therapy

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the modern world humans have been able to design and create nearly anything, most to aid us in our daily lives and improve our standard of living. It is only inevitable that eventually humans would take our superior knowledge and skill to manipulate life itself and change our genome to produce a healthier and even more superior human standard of life. In recent years discussion about gene therapy has changed into a promising possibility to treat many of our common human diseases and disorders. Although gene therapy might be the answer to many problems, it has been met with a number of logistical and ethical hardships. With the prospect of being a treatment for inherited genetic disorders, cancers, and viral infections, gene therapy seems like the logical fix-it-all bandage that many people would benefit from.

    Read More

  • Ethics of Human Gene Therapy

    2330 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gene therapy is a technique which has developed in the wake of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. It is a process which results in the correction of a genetic disorder by the addition of a piece or fragment of DNA into the genetic material of a living, functioning cell. A mere thirty years ago this concept belonged to the realm of the human imagination made manifest in the works of science fiction. Today it belongs to the realm of the human imagination made manifest in the works of science, period. It is mind boggling to try to comprehend the far reaching effects of gene therapy. How is it affecting society? Who will benefit from its use? Should it be used at all? Should research continue? How do we answer all of these questions? The answers are not readily available, nor are they black and white, but an attempt at finding some solutions must be made. Before exploring this line of thought further, a basic understanding of the technical aspects of gene therapy is essential.

    Read More

  • Gene Therapy Vs Gene Therapy

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gene therapy works in three ways; it works to replace a missing or defective gene with a normal one, replace a faulty gene so that it will function properly and it works to activate and deactivate a gene, allowing it to “switch” on and off. Gene therapy is done by the deliverance of a gene to a cell via a carrier, or vector, such as a virus. Scientists lean more towards using a virus because they can seek out particular cells and transfer pieces of deoxyribonucleic acid into them. Scientists also take advantage by deactivating their harmful characterizes and modifying them to carry particular gene into designated cells. After gene therapy is done, the genes can then stimulate the production needed for standard functioning, allowing that gene to return to its previous normal state. Therefore, if a patient were to be in the beginning stages of cancer, gene therapy would seek out the cancerous gene and replace it with a healthy one and minimizes the disease from

    Read More

  • The Debate Over Gene Therapy

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite being magical of gene therapy, it is high-risk. Few people got benefits from it, and it has a low rate of success. Prior to the human trial, Batshaw and Wilson had done experiment on animals to ensure the safety. Over 20 experiments have been done on mice but only 12 of them survived at last (Sophia, M. and Kolehmainen, J.D., 2000). More seriously, complicating diseases, which can be more dangerous than genetic diseases, might set in during the treatment period. In December 200...

    Read More

  • The Dangers of Gene Therapy Treatment

    1886 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lopez, Gerald Gabriel. "Gene Therapy: the Scientific vs. the Societal" The Resource. Jan. 1998. 10 Apr. 2001. .

    Read More

  • The Ethics of Gene Therapy: Balancing the Risks

    2583 Words  | 6 Pages

    Since its inception, gene therapy has captured the attention of the public and ethics disciplines as a therapeutic application of human genetic engineering. The latter, in particular, has lead to concerns about germline modification and questions about the distinction between therapy and enhancement. The development of the gene therapy field and its progress to the clinic has not been without controversy. Although initially considered as a promising approach for treating the genetic of disease, the field has attracted disappointment for failing to fulfil its potential. With the resolution of many of the barriers that restricted the progress of gene therapy and increasing reports of clinical success, it is now generally recognised that earlier expectations may have been premature.

    Read More

  • Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings by Julian Savulescu

    3287 Words  | 7 Pages

    Savulescu, Julian. “Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Human Beings.” Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. Ed. David Kaplan. 2nd ed. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield, 2009. 417-430.

    Read More

  • Debate on Gene Therapy

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    Safdar, M. (2010) Gene Therapy: Advantages and Disadvantages [Online] Available at: http://www.biotecharticles.com/Genetics-Article/Gene-Therapy-Advantages-and-Disadvantages-271.html [Accessed July 17 2011]

    Read More

  • Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    In an article titled “The Ethical Implications of Gene Therapy” the group of advisers on Ethical Implications of Biotechnology of the European commission states issues and rules that should be abided by, along with beliefs on the direction of biotechnology. At its present stage, biotechnology focuses on serious diseases which are incurable at the moment, however through this research treatment for these diseases could be found. The group of advisers feel that there should be levels at which research should focus on, instead of jumping into it all at once. Basic research should be carried out prior to clinical trials, and then move on to biotechnology. This can be done by supporting research actions, organizing training and exchange programs or any other appropriate means. Gene therapy protocols require that ethical evaluation consists of processes assuring quality, transparency and efficiency without delays of treatment to the patients who need it. This is crucial because an inefficient, poor quality treatment could cost someone their life. The group also feels that gene therapy research should be restricted to serious diseases for which there is not a current treatment. Expanding research to other things could be done if a medical evaluation calls for it. Equal access should be assured to all researchers within the European Union, thus sharing information and helping to improve orphan drugs. This could also save time and money. In order to insure the public of what is going on, conclusions of evaluations should regularly be published to encourage public debate. The public is not usually informed much about genetic therapy and many people have the wrong idea about it. Should reports be published more often, there will be less public confusion and ridicule.

    Read More

  • Position Paper: Gene Therapy in Humans

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the end, gene therapy in humans needs to come a long way before it will be widely accepted, but there is great potential in the technology and it needs to be pursued. Bibliography Anderson, W. F. (1992). The Species of the World. Human Gene Therapy -. Science, 256 (5058), 808-813.

    Read More

More about Advantages and Disadvantages of Gene Therapy

Open Document