Gene Therapy is Revolutionizing Medicine
"We used to think that our fate was in our stars, but now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in our genes, "quotes James Watson. This fate that Watson is talking about is contained in our genes, and deals with a new technique, gene therapy. Gene therapy is revolutionizing the world of medicine. Many physicians are predicting that in twenty years gene therapy may change the practice of medicine from a treatment-based to a prevention-based practice. Our future is l ocked away inside of our genes. Gene therapy is unlocking these doors. Researchers are starting to move away from developing new drugs, and towards finding an ultimate solution. That solution is to use gene therapy as a treatment for many genetic diseas es. Researchers hope that in the coming years, every genetic disease will have gene therapy as its treatment. Gene therapy could be the last therapy that the human race will ever need.
What is Gene Therapy?
So what is this mystical new wonder called gene therapy? Gene therapy is the introduction of genes into existing cells to prevent or cure a wide range of diseases. For example, suppose a brain tumor is forming by rapidly dividing cancer cells. The reason this tumor is forming is due to some defective or mutated gene. The therapy chosen for this case would be to use a herpes virus that has had its virulence removed, rendering it harmless. The virus is still abl e to insert its genetic material into the target cells. The virus is then taken and injected into mouse cells, where it makes additional copies of itself. These mouse cells, now containing the virus, are then injected into the brain containing the tumor . Once inside the brain, the virus seeks out t...
... middle of paper ...
...over more genes and their functions, the potential of this treatment is limitless. Our genome is the blueprint of our body. The key to our future is locked in our genome. As researchers start to understand this blueprint, our lives will be forever changed. We now know our fate is indeed in our genes.
Literature Cited
Bloch, Hannah, Cray, Dan, and Sadlowski, Christine. 1996. Keys to the kingdom. Pp. 24-29. Time Magazine.
Brody, JE. 1993 Sept. Gene therapy hold promise of medical miracles, but possible pitfalls cause worries. New York Times.
Herman, R. 1991 Dec. Gene therapy. Pp. 89-91. Mirabella.
Phillips, P. 1991. Gene therapy getting its chance. Pp. 46-47. Medical World News.
Verma, IM. 1993. Gene therapy. Pp. 78-85. Scientific American Medicine: Special Issue.
Weiss, R. 1994 Oct. Gene therapy at a crossroads. Pp. 13-15. Washington Post Health.
...tains absolutely no calories! Aspartame is one of the safest artificial sweeteners I researched throughout the whole paper; the most dangerous or unhealthiest was actually sodium cyclamate. Although aspartame cannot or should not be used for cooking and baking because it will break down during the process. Despite all the rumors about aspartame being “the most dangerous artificial sugar out there” many specialists disagree and believe all the drama about aspartame stop because it is completely healthy to consume. I would recommend people that would like to be healthier and want to slow down on eating regular sugar to consume and go buy aspartame because it is very healthy and safe to eat. I also asked a few people in my family about the sugars and asked for their opinions on which one they would rather consume and most of them picked either saccharin or aspartame.
Proponents of a highly limited separation of church and state often argue that America’s founding fathers would be appalled at the extent to which the Judeo...
Church-state relations in America has been widely discussed and hotly debated. One school of thought holds that the church should be absolutely separated from the state, while another holds that the church plays a moral role in state building and its sanctity, without which the state risks falling apart. In my discussion of the church-state relations, I state that the history of church-state relations has a Constitutional basis. Next, I discuss the two schools of thought in context and how they have shaped contemporary American political thought. Finally, I argue that the two schools of thought have a common ground. This is followed by a summary of my key arguments and a conclusion to my essay.
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...
Artificial sugars are much more damaging to the body than people believe. In an article titled, "Sweeteners" by Roger French, he notes that, "People who consumed diet soft drinks [that contained artificial sweeteners or sugars], were more likely to gain weight than those who consumed naturally-sweetened drinks (Sweeteners)". This occurs because artificial sweeteners, in a sense, fool the body into thinking it needs less energy, but late...
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.
"The aim is to decrease the fear of a brave new world and to encourage people to be more proactive about their health. It [Gene therapy] will help humans become better physically and even mentally and extend human life. It is the future” (Hulbert). Dr. Hulbert, a genetic engineer, couldn’t be anymore right; more time, money, and research needs to be put into gene therapy and genetic engineering, since it can cure certain illness and diseases that are incurable with modern medicine, has fewer side-effects than conventional drugs or surgery, and allows humans to be stronger physically and mentally at birth. Gene therapy or genetic engineering is the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population (NIH). It essentially means that we can change DNA to make an organism better. Genetic engineering is used with animals and plants every day; for example with genetic...
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).
Artificial sweeteners are fake sugar substitutes that many people use to maintain their weight and diabetes. But, what many people do not understand is that artificial sweeteners are not all they are cracked up to be. It is a proven fact that people who consume diet coke on a regular basis will be fatter one year from the time they began drinking them. Many artificial sugars are in the everyday items that people eat/drink including soda, chewing gum, energy drinks, granola bars, cereal, and much more. There are many aversive health effects that are associated with specific artificial sweeteners. The most common artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, neotame, and Acesulfame- K. Although artificial sweeteners are assumed to be a healthy option but, in the long run they can cause many aversive health conditions that could have been prevented by just consuming natural sugar.
An average animal cell is made up of centrioles, cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum (smooth ER and rough ER), golgi complex, lyosomes, microtubules, mitochondria, nucleus, nucleolus, necleaopore, and ribosomes. Centrioles in an animal cell are made to organize microtubules during mitosis (cell division) stage. Cytoplasm helps move stuff around in the cell and also dissolves cellular waste. The rough endoplasmic reticulum makes membranes and fluid-like protiens. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum has many jobs such as carbohydrate and lipid synthesis. Next is the golgi complex, which is responsible for making, storing, and sending certain cellular products. Lysosomes have the job of breaking down cellular macromolecules. Microtubules have the main job of helping support and shape the cell. Mitochondria are what I like to call 'power houses’; they are the power producers in an animal cell. After the mitochondria is the nucleus, which according to Regina Bailey, “Contains the cell's hereditary information and controls the cell's growth and reproduction.” Inside of the nucleus is the nucleolus that helps in the synthesis of ribosomes. The nucleopore allows nucleic acids and proteins to move about freely. Last but not least are the ribosomes. Ribosomes are responsible for collecting the proteins in the cell.
Have you ever thought that all sugars are the same? If so, you would be wrong. Did you know that not all sugars come from the same place; some sugars come from fruit whereas others are manufactured. Contrary to people beliefs, natural and artificial sugars both have glucose and fructose. While others still argue that artificial and natural sugars are the same, artificial sugars can cause the body to go on sugar lows and sugar highs and can have more calories than natural sugars. Natural sugars are better for the body; they can have a positive effect on your blood sugar and overall health.
What is there to be said about a mothers love? Some say that it is a bond that can never be severed or that a mother’s love is unconditional. The mother, Kate, in “All My Sons” still intensely believes that her son Larry is still alive. Throughout the play we learn many things about Kate. We know that she is superstitious because of the way she looks at dreams and horoscopes, intelligent from the way she knows what’s going on and that Joe always asks her what to do, and manipulating in a way towards people who bring up Larry’s death or a sensitive subject comes up. Also Kate could be called naive for knowing the truth for so long but not accepting it.
The sugars that are in concern are added sugars. Natural sugars are found naturally in foods, especially fruits. Gearhardt stated that natural sugars are more likely to come with fiber and water that will assist in the breakdown of sugars throughout the body. Added sugars lack these nutritious values. In “The Toxic Truth about Sugar”
Artificial sweeteners have become a vital part of the sugar industry and are marketed as zero-calorie sugars that can cause no harm to the body, but do they truly cause no harm? Although these sweeteners do not directly cause health problems they do have very strong connections to the development of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and misconceptions about weight loss.
Gene therapy enables patients to survive incurable diseases. In the field of genetic diseases, ADA-SCID, CGD and hemophilia are three main ones. ADA-SCID is known as the bubble boy disease. CGD is related to immune system that would lead to fungal infections which are fatal. Patients with Hemophilia are not able to induce bold bleeding (Gene therapy for diseases, 2011). Gene therapy also has good effects on cancer treatment and neurodegenerative diseases, which include Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Viral infections, including influenza, HIV and hepatitis can also be treats by it (Gene therapy for diseases, 2011). According to the Science Daily in 2011, gene therapy now can apply to heart failures and neurologic diseases as well.