The Pros and Cons of Gene Therapy Gene therapy is a very controversial topic that has been

DNA has about 12 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and thousands of copy number variants, most of which are not harmful. Sometimes these mutations in genes can cause genetic disorders that end up altering or inhibiting protein function. Gene Therapy focuses on correcting the mutated genes usually by inserting a normal gene into the genome. Researchers treat these diseases this way by repairing dysfunctional gene or by providing copies of the missing gene. They isolate the normal DNA and package it into a vector. Other ways include replacing the abnormal gene with a normal one, repair the mutated gene, or altering the regulation of a certain gene. As of right now, reparative results have been marginal, there is potential of gene therapy treating single-gene disorders.

Human genetic engineering can save people's lives now and could save more in the future. According to a New Scientist article (Le Page, 2015), Layla was three months when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a kind of cancer in the bone marrow. She underwent other treatments like chemotherapy, but those failed so she underwent gene therapy by using the TALEN protein to edit her genes to produce a cancer fighting T cell called UCRAT19; She survived and thrived (Le Page 2015). Saving someone’s life through human genetic engineering doesn’t even have to be as complicated as altering genes. According to TIME Health (Park, 2014), Mya Burkhart was six months old when her parents started to look for a cure to her rare mutation in the gene for citrate. This mutation prevented certain parts of her from getting enough energy, causing breathing and development problems, and after having no luck with any other diagnosis, a genetic scan figured out what the issue was and gave her citrate supplements (Alice Park, 2014). Both Layla’s and Mya’s lives were saved because of human genetic engineering. Layla was cured of cancer because of human genetic engineering, which is one toughest diseases for humans to cure right now, while Layla’s cancer was cured, but Mya’s condition was only treated so maybe if human genetic engineering could continue a cure could be developed to improve her life.

Gene therapy provides many benefits to the patients who undergo it. Biotechnologists believe that a genetic disease can be removed with this treatment. For example, on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website, it states, “Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including: Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene. Inactivating, or ‘knocking out,’ a mutated gene that

Some people may wonder what gene therapy is. Gene therapy is the replacing of defective or missing genes with normal genes in order to cure the disorder. In the future, this technique may be used to prevent or treat a disorder by inserting

Gene therapy has had many successes as well as setbacks. The success of gene therapy outweighs the setbacks Elizabeth would say. The first human to receive gene therapy treatment was a 4 year old girl with severe immune- deficiency disease; the disease was caused by a faulty gene that fails to produce a vital enzyme (Genetics, 23). Gene therapy

Whether gene therapy should be allowed to be used in practice is currently a very controversial topic. In my opinion, I do not think that it should be allowed. Gene therapy is a technique where genetic material is inserted into a patient to replace missing or defective genes. Gene therapy can be further broken down into two categories: somatic and germline. From there, somatic gene therapy can be approached in two ways: in-vivo and ex-vivo. For the process of gene therapy to begin, the proper vector needs to be acquired. Once a vector is chosen, the vector delivers the new gene into the target cell. Then, the target cell becomes infected with the vector. Next, the vector’s genetic material is inserted into the target cell. Then finally, functional

Gene therapy is an experimental medical procedure that uses the genes in our bodies to either treat or prevent disease by introducing new genetic material into human cells (ie. cancer cells) to create the necessary proteins that allows the cell become healthy (SOURCE). Gene therapy can also be used as an alternative to other medical disorders rather than having a surgical procedure done or using drugs such as chemotherapy. For example, Joseph Panno, research

There are two types of gene therapy; germline gene and somatic gene therapy. Germline gene therapy is considered to be a safer option for humans. This method makes changes to the gamete cells that are used in the reproductive process thus, the functional genes need to be inserted into the chromosomes. Somatic gene therapy is when genes are transferred to body cells by inserting vectors into a person’s body. There are three things that gene therapy can do; replace a mutated gene that causes a disease with a healthy gene, deactivate a mutated gene that is not able to function properly, or introduce a new gene into the body to prevent diseases. There has been a clinical trial in the past where over 3000 people were treated with gene therapy and the results were good however, this treatment method has serious health

In another case, an 18-year-old Arizona man with a rare metabolic disease participated in a controversial experiment which marked the first death attributed to gene therapy. Jesse Gelsinger, a high school graduate who episodically suffered from a serious genetic disorder that often leads to coma and death in childhood, died Sept. 17, 1999 after undergoing an experimental therapy administered at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Thousands of U.S. patients have been treated with various kinds of gene therapy, an experimental technique in which doctors use live viruses and other means to transport potentially therapeutic genes into the body just as Gelsinger was.

Gene therapy is an experimental form of treatment, where normal genes are placed into missing or defective ones in order to correct or alter genetic disorders. In other terms, it is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid polymers into a patient 's cells as a drug to treat disease (Gennady, 2015). After many attempts at modifying human DNA by nuclear gene transfer as well as insertion of human DNA in the nuclear genome, the first successful gene therapy was in 1990 where it was used to cure four-year-old Ashanti DaSilva who had Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (IDF 2013 National Conference). Since then gene therapy has been used to cure and treat serious diseases such as Chronic Granulomatus Disorder, Hemophilia, and a wide variety of Cancers, and other genetic and acquired diseases (American Society of GENE & CELL THERAPHY, online).

There have been multiple setbacks in this technology. Some immediate side effects is that the body thinks that the virus inserting the healthy gene is a virus and tries to fight it. A severe response to the virus could lead to the death of the individual. Another major side effect in the long run is the development of other diseases. There have been multiple reports of operations that have gone successful, but in a few years that patient developing diseases like leukemia and most of the patients died. Right now there are probably more negative effects to gene therapy and more research would need to be developed to ensure that the likelihood of death is not so high. More research and operations on animals would have to be done to ensure it is safe on

A new form of medicine with the potential to save and improve millions of live is gene therapy, or gene replacement therapy. Gene therapy is the use of DNA as a pharmaceutical agent used to treat or cure diseases or disorders caused by defective or missing genes. There are three methods of gene therapy: replacing a mutated gene with a healthy copy of the same gene, inactivating a gene that is not functioning properly, or introducing a completely new gene to help the patient fight a disease. Gene therapy is a promising treatment option, however, the technique has yet to be perfected and is still dangerous and experimental.

Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. Currently, there are a lot of studies and experiments that allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient’s cells instead of using drugs or direct surgery. Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, such as replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene, inactivating, or “knocking out,” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly, introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease, and helping to regenerate precious cells. Although gene therapy has a very active and promising approach for a number of disease, there are still several risks and side effects. Hence, the therapy

Many scientists and others believe that if gene therapy can be refined, it could be implemented to ultimately put an end to genetic disorders. The parents would have the children they want, and the children who had the natural disposition towards a genetic disorder could possibly become a normal child, whereas otherwise they would probably end up losing their life due to abortion. Those that support gene therapy view it as a win-win strategy:

Just in its early stages of research and information, genetic therapy is already saving lives. Gregg Zoroya wrote in his article “Ray of Hope” of a man named Kevin Klug, a father and working man whose life was saved due to the use of gene therapy. Klug has a type of brain cancer known as glioblastoma. This type of cancer is one that was found to be incurable.