Cancer Treatment With Gene Therapy
Gene therapy has been progressing over the past half-century and has led to many discoveries pertaining to the treatment of cancer. Normal body cells can either become cancerous by losing or gaining a function. To treat cancer, scientists can either replace damaged genes (such as a damaged tumor suppressing gene) in the malignant cells or stop the cells from overexpressing genes (such as oncogenes, or genes that have been altered and can cause the development of cancer in normal body tissue) (Culver, 97). Gene therapy has many benefits over other cancer treatment methods.
“ Gene therapy is the insertion of a functioning gene into the cells of a patient to correct an inborn error of metabolism (i.e. genetic abnormality or birth defect) to provide new function in a cell (e.g. insertion of an immunostimulatory gene into cancer cells to vaccinate a patient against their own cancer) (Culver, xvi). There are currently two types of gene therapy. Somatic gene therapy, which is currently the only accepted method of gene therapy for use in humans, is the changing of all the cells of the body except for the reproductive cells. This type of gene therapy can only fix a genetic disorder for one generation. Germ-line gene therapy, which is not currently accepted for use in humans, is the altering of the reproductive cells. This is the type of gene therapy that can cure a genetic disorder for more than one generation (Culver, xvi). There are a few methods of altering cells in gene therapy. The first method is in vivo. The in vivo method is where the cells are altered inside of the body. For the in vivo method to work accurately, there needs to be a certain way for the genes to reach the target cells (a ve...
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...ays inside of the cell until it is evicted by the body’s immune system.
Cancer can be cured with gene therapy by many methods. The tumor suppressor genes can be replaced, you can use gene-marking methods to find cancerous cells, and remove them, an d cells can be stopped from overexpressing genes Gene therapy works by genetically altering cells of the body, but not reproductive cells, (somatic gene therapy), or by altering the reproductive cells (germ-line gene therapy). Both of these methods are used to alter genetically diseased cells to treat genetic diseases. Gene therapy is a developing field in genetics that is being used to find ways to cure cancer and other diseases that has been progressing over the past 50 years.
Works Cited
Culver, Kenneth W. Gene Therapy: a Primer for Physicians. New York: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 1996. xv-135.
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.
There have been four somewhat recent successful gene therapy treatments. The four deal with correcting hemophilia, bone marrow transplants, skin cancer, and vessel growth. In the success with the bone marrow transplants, French researchers collected bone marrow cells from patients, used gene therapy to correct the bone marrow, and then returned the bone marrow to the patient. This was 80% successful as reports 16 months after the transplants showed. Squamous cell carcinoma, skin cancer of the head and neck, was treated using gene therapy as well. The fourth trial was where DNA was used to carry a substance that stimulates blood vessel growth to damaged heart tissue and in this trial there was much success noted.
It was in the 1980’s that scientist began looking at alternative ways of treatments, one is gene therapy. Scientist would insert human genes into a bacteria cell. Then the bacteria cell would transcribe and translate the information into a protein. Once that is done the scientist would then introduce the protein into human cells. Gene therapy can be simply viewed as inserting bits of foreign DNA into a patient’s tissue in hope...
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.
Although the highly technical aspects of human gene therapy are somewhat complex, the basic concept is very straight forward. The goal of gene therapy is to correct mistakes that have occurred within the genetic material, or DNA, of the living cell. In very simple terms, DNA is often thought of as the "language" of the biological functioning of organisms. This language is organized by letters (nucleotide pairs), words (codons), sentences (genes), and books (genomes). Before being able to repair the damaged or defective genetic material, the location of the gene or genes causing the dysfunction in the individual must be determined.
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
Gene therapy gives people who suffer from genetic diseases a chance to lead a normal life. Dangerous diseases, such as AIDS, SCID, Thalassemia and ADA can be cured successfully. In September 5, 2006, two people with advanced melanoma received Gene therapy and they got recovery soon. This is a breakthrough in cancer gene therapy. Gene therapy uses patients own cells to cure diseases, and, therefore, no rejection to their bodies. Furthermore, patients could get permanent cure from gene therapy without recurrence.
Every year, the rate of mortality increasing because most diseases may lead to death if not treated early. One of the methods that can be used to cure some diseases is by using the treatment known as gene therapy. Based on Pruitt’s (2008) study, numbers of inherited and acquired diseases were reduced since gene therapy has the ability to provide new treatments to cure them. According to Shi and Zou (2008), gene therapy is defined as expression of protein or interrupts the synthesis of protein in cell by transferring the genetic material into a host in order to treat or prevent a disease. Besides that, Kelly (2007) stated that an “abnormal” hereditary disease-causing gene in an individual’s cells and tissues is treated and used gene therapy by to replace them with a “normal” gene. Around 1970’s, idea to use “genes” as “drugs” for human therapy was originally from United States (Giacca, 2010). Moreover, there are some objectives in using the gene therapy as a treatment. First, gene therapy is used to cure or slow the progression of disease by introducing the genetic material into target cells and next objective is to aim at the direct correction of endogenous genetic defects by delivered some additional copies of a gene (Pruitt, 2008; Giacca, 2010). Furthermore, Yadav and Tyagi (2008) found that there are two types of gene therapy which are germline gene therapy and somatic cell therapy. As stated by Shi and Zou (2008), therapy that involved modification of any cells in a patient’s body is called as somatic cell gene therapy while germ line gene therapy is therapy that involved modifying of human eggs or sperms that pass genes on to future generations. Other than that, animal tissue culture is used to test the effective...
Gene therapy is a method used by doctors that ‘uses genes as medicine’. It repairs faulty or damaged gene copies by transferring a therapeutic or working gene into specific parts of faulty gene copy. This means that gene therapy can be used to replace a faulty gene or to introduce a new gene whose function is to modify the clinical course of a condition or to cure a problem in the gene (Refer to image 2). Image 1 shows how gene therapy is completed using an adenovirus vector while image 2 explains the method of gene therapy and shows how cells are removed, altered and injected back into the patient. Gene therapy has potential to treat and cure many medical conditions such as various types of cancer, degenerative diseases and viral infections such as AIDS. Research into gene therapy still needs to be done before this approach to the treatment of certain conditions will realise its full potential. Trials are being conducted in the United States and Europe and a modest number initiated in other countries, including Australia. The majority of these trials are focussing on treating acquired conditions such as cancer (European Society of Gene & Cell therapy, 2011).
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.
5. Leiden, Dr. Jeffrey M. "Gene therapy -- Promises, Pitfalls, and Prognosis." The New England Journal of Medicine 28 September 1995: 871-873.
This article gives an insight on the current trends on gene therapy because it offers critical analysis of gene therapy both at the beginning to the current state. It also explores the position of patients who underwent gene therapy so as to ascertain whether this therapy has been successful or not. This helps in establishing the reason why this mode of therapy has been gaining slower acceptance than it initially
Gene therapies necessity, stems from the fact that it can cure, life threatening gene based diseases, with minimal after effects. Although there are some ethical and physical issues that can occur through this technology, when comparing it to the other genetic technologies, it’s quite reliable. Although it is in its infancy, the technology has still been present for several years, with the first case of gene therapy being done in 1990. Sure, there have been some complications, but its still a growing technology with a strong future in front of
Gene therapy has been a very controversial issue since its origin in 1990 when A four-year old girl became the first gene therapy patient. She has adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency, a genetic disease which leaves her defenseless against infections. Gene therapy involves substituting normal genes for the genes associated with a disease or disorder otherwise altering a person’s genetic makeup. Each gene has a specific code for what it is supposed to do. So, on top of our genome, we have a complex epigenome. These epigenomes consist of all kinds of different markings. The genes themselves are not altered when epigenetic effects occur; however, their effect is altered. Gene therapy can be categorized in to two different types—somatic cell therapy and reproductive cell also referred to as germline therapy. Somatic cells involves targeting
Genes are made of DNA – the code of life (Gene Therapy- The Great Debate!). The changes in genes may cause serious problems, which we called genetic disorder. In theory, the only method to cure genetic disorders is gene therapy, which basically means the replacement of genes in order to correct the loss or change in people’s DNA. Although gene therapy gives patients with genetic disorders a permanent cure, it is controversial because it has safety and efficacy problems, and raises ethical issues.