Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy

The Human Genome Project began around 1986. The main goal of the project is to locate and sequence all genes found in human DNA. The objectives for this ambitious effort are to learn more about heredity of disease and to discover the genes that would aid in gene therapy. Advances in gene therapy strive to treat hereditary diseases and possibly eliminate disease from the genome.

The definition of gene therapy is the introduction of genes into existing cells to prevent or cure a wide range of diseases (Jaroff, 1996). Gene therapy has two possibilities of disease treatment, somatic gene therapy and germline gene therapy. Somatic gene therapy involves the manipulation of gene expression in cells that will be corrective to the patient but not inherited to the next generation. Germline gene therapy involves the genetic modification of germ cells, which pass the change on to the next generation (Wilson, 1998). Somatic gene therapy is currently being researched more aggressively due to ethical and technical complications with germline gene therapy.

Technical Aspects

Gene therapy began with the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project has found gene locations for many diseases. Among the diseases that have been found Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, ADA deficiency, and two genes for breast cancer are just a few examples. After a disease-causing gene is found, correcting it is the next logical step. This can be achieved through various methods. One of the first tested methods was to obtain the faulty gene from the patient, introduce the corrected gene into cells, and finally inject the altered cells back into a blood vessel.

Blood is taken from the affected individual to obtain cells with DNA carryi...

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...imit our ability to adapt to ecological and environmental changes. In spite of this, I am enthusiastic about gene therapy. I want to live a healthy life and I want my children to be able to live happy, healthy lives. With gene therapy, the use of human cells to treat disease looks very promising. Who knows, by the time the environment does change, gene therapy may be so advanced that a simple injection could make us adapt to this change.

References

Elmer-Dewitt, Philip. The Genetic Revolution. Time. January 17, 1994. V 143. N 3. P (46-44).

Grace, Eric S. Better Health Through Gene Therapy. The Futurist. Jan-Feb 1998. V 32. N 1. P (39-43).

Jaroff, Leon. Keys to the Kingdom. Time. Fall 1996. V 148. N14. P (24-29).

Wilson, Jim. The Institute for Human Gene Therapy. Obtained from the WWW November 1, 1998:http://www.med.upenn.edu/~ihgt/info/whatisgt.html