Essay on Gene Therapy and Its Effect on Cancer

Gene therapy is a very controversial topic that has been discussed in the last five years and is being heavily studied to help cure cancer. Gene therapy is a technique aimed at treating genetic disorders by introducing the correct form of the defective gene into the patient’s genome (Dunlop et al., 2010).

Thus far, they have found some techniques that are useful and help damaged cells regain their integrity. One technique is to administer the genes mixed in a solution by paternal therapy. This leads to an increase of the genes working systemically to promote healing of multiple damaged tissues or organs. The advantage to this is treating wounds that are not on the surface such as intestinal problems or damaged lung and heart tissues (Pickart, 2015). This treatment is essentially resetting DNA to their previous healthier state.

Humans have been able to use the principles of DNA replication, gene transfer and gene expression (as observed in nature) as tools to manipulate specific genes towards preferred outcomes. An advantage of being able to manipulate genetic therapy is the ability to eliminate/cure genetic disease/disorders with otherwise no other cure. Humans are able to remove the genes causing the genetic disorder from the gene pool of populations, allowing organisms to live longer and healthier lives. Two ways of manipulating genetic transfer which will be explored further in this report are selective breeding and gene therapy.

Demolishing genetic diseases from the human race has been and always will be a key role in science. However, there comes a point in time when moral standards have interjected the betterment of cleansing genetic diseases. One of the many branches of science that has the complete capability to exterminate our destiny of any genetic diseases, gene therapy, is being silenced due to the curse of society’s moral standards. There is a very narrow line in what is not morally correct and ethical to standards of people; causing the advancement of procedures like gene therapy to be narrow. The only explanation to gene therapy awaits on what we, as a community, can bring about for the future generations, but this is

Genetic engineering allows biologists to manipulate an organism's genomes by utilizing biotechnology (Moulton, 2004 ). The Talimogene Laherparepvec virus, otherwise known as T-vec, is an oncolytic virus. A oncolytic virus, is a virus that destroys cancerous cells. The T-vec virus has recently had successful results for treating melanoma cancer. The virus originated from the herpes simplex virus 1 and has been genetically altered to help destroy cancer cells.The virus gets injected into the lesions, lesions are areas on or in the body that have been damaged . Not only does the virus destroy cancer cells, it also activities the immune system to attack the cancer cells. Many changes were done to diminish the virus, expand the selective for the cancer cells, and release the cytokine. The modifications that were implanted in the virus were, HSV-1 strain (JS1) which is the DNA set of the herpes virus, that increases the death of the tumour cells. To delete ICP34.5, that stops the HSV infection in the cells that are not tumorous, and will provide selective tumour duplication. As Well as the deletion of ICP47 that allows antigen presentation, an antigen is a substance that helps enable an immune response. Placing in the US11 will

Just in case you are a little shaky on the topic of gene therapy I will briefly explain. Gene therapy is a type of treatment used

Li, and Huang discuss the controversial topic of gene therapy by first providing a factual summary of gene therapy. Their introduction goes into the specifics of the types of vectors (carriers that deliver a gene to target cells) used to transfer genes in order to aide damaged proteins. Afterwards, they transition into the detailed of process of gene therapy. They start this off with naked DNA and state it is the simplest approach to nonviral transfers and the least toxic method. However, despite being the least toxic and a nonviral transfer it does not have as great of an effect as Cationic lipids. Cationic lipids have been used in various experiments but are known to be safe only when administered in small doses. Furthermore they go into

In 1990 the first gene therapy procedure gained approval and a four-year-old girl with SCIDs disease was finally able to fight off a simple cold. She is now able to live a normal life with the help of continued treatment of gene therapy. Although gene therapy is an innovative and ideally favorable procedure when it comes to treating diseases, cancer, or inherited disorders, it is still a delicate procedure and is continuously studied to insure it is not only effective but also and most importantly safe. In order to insure the safety of patients a gene therapy drug must get the approval of the FDA before becoming available, as every drug must do. Since gene therapy is still very experimental; there are only a few gene therapy drugs that have been approved by the FDA to treat patients. However, on August 30th, 2017 history was made when the FDA approved Kymriah, the first CAR-T cell therapy drug to be available in the United States. Kymriah is a one-time treatment for patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, it was developed through the research collaboration of Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania, and it is manufactured for each individual patient. Kymriah’s only drawback would be the price tag of $475,000 for a course of treatment, however Novartis plans to wave the fee for patients where Kymriah is not successful.

This study is about the administration of treatment using advanced methods made available over the past 20 years. It will attempt to explore the three most significant include Gene therapy, Stem cell transplant and health screening, commencing with meanings, approaches; uses and case studies of each type of techniques.

Cell replication and division is vital for growth and development. The mechanisms associated with replication of DNA are very precise. However, there can be errors at times and when these errors occur there could be problems in reproduction process. Some of these errors can cause uncontrolled cell growth causing tumor formation. There are genes within the human genome that prevent this uncontrolled growth from occurring. These genes are known as tumor suppression genes. They work in a very specific way and are vital for proper growth. Though they fix errors, the tumor suppression genes can malfunction or be malformed at times as well. When these errors occur, there can be serious consequences.

I read an article on an online news source that the FDA has authorized the use of gene therapy to try to cure a form of leukemia called B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. This is the first FDA approved gene therapy in the United States. ALL can affect children and adults. The trial is targeted to children and adults under the age of twenty-five who haven't responded to previous treatment, and who havn’t had a relapse. The scientists are able to alter a patient’s T-cells by adding a new gene to the cells. This new gene directs the T-cells to target cancer cells. This is a revolutionary trial that will open many doors in the scientific community in the future. More and more experiments with genes will occur. This trial of gene therapy affects body cells, specifically white blood cells.

“In 2013, more than 43,000 adults and 5,000 children and teens will be diagnosed with [leukemia] in the United States” (“What you”). Leukemia is a cancer that affects an individual’s blood and bone marrow by making leukemia cells. Leukemia has many treatment options, but these treatment options are not guaranteed to completely cure cancer (“What you”). Doctors have been working diligently to find a cure for leukemia, and cancer in general. Some of these treatment options have included experimentation with gene therapy. Gene therapy is a treatment that goes to the source of the disease and helps correct the defective genes rather than treating the symptoms like traditional drug-based approaches (“What is”). Although gene therapy

Cancer occurrs by the production of multiple mutations in a single cell that causes it to proliferate out of control. Cancer cells often different from their normal neighbors by a host of specific phenotypic changes, such as rapid division rate, invasion of new cellular territories, high metabolic rate, and altered shape. Some of those mutations may be transmitted from the parents through the germ line. Others arise de novo in the somatic cell lineage of a particular cell. Cancer-promoting mutations can be identified in a variety of ways. They can be cloned and studied to learn how they can be controlled.

The third technique is in vivo (or "in the living body"). This therapy does not exist yet but is the therapy of the future.

Every living thing is the product of the genes that were passed down from ancestors. Genes make up everything we are. One gets their traits from their parents. Most people live full lives with relatively good health. However, some people inherit mutated genes or faulty genes. This could lead to genetic disorders that could be life threatening. Even today, many genetic disorders still remain incurable, leaving many people without hope. Genetic therapy could be their answer. It is through this research that the cure for genetic disorders can be found. Though some people believe it is unethical or immoral to alter genes, current therapeutics have not been able to save the lives of the patients with these diseases. Genetic therapy