Biotechnology: Things you should know about Gene Therapy

Introduction

Genetic disorders are becoming common nowadays due to stressful modern lifestyle. Latest technologies are the added values to create many genetic disorders. To overcome the disorders, Gene therapy is a blessing. In order to compensate abnormal genes and make a good gene, genetic material is introduced into cells. In this way, mutated gene will act as a normal gene. Let us see in detail.

Ways to insert the gene

There are indirect ways need to be followed to make a gene to function as if it is inserted directly does not function. Carrier also called as vector is used to deliver the gene. In the place of vectors, virus play the role as they are getting modified and hence people are not affected with new diseases when it is integrated into the chromosome of the human cell.

The vectors need to get injected to specific tissue in the body or outwardly patient’s cell is removed and exposed to the vector. In either of the ways need to be again returned to the patient. Successful treatment makes proper genes and genetic disorders get solved.

Gene therapy for treating cancer

Cancer is the dangerous disease and there are many ways to cure cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But cancerous cells in due course again spread and hence it is a deadly disease. Gene therapy is the best way discovered nowadays for treating cancer.
Let us see the basic fundamentals of cells. cells include packets of data in genes, created either from DNA or RNA. Sequence is there for DNA and if it is in the order, there will be no problem. But at the same time If there is disorder occurs in portion of the genes either turning or changing the position, cells lost their control and abnormal growth is seen which result in cancerous tumors. It can spread in mouth, breast, lung etc.,

Specialists in Gene therapy analyze the patient’s criticality first and follow the treatment procedures. One way is they replace missing or mutated genes into wholesome genes. Inserting totally new genes for fighting cancer, placing DNA into cancerous cells to undergo chemotherapy and radiation or injecting bad gene to destroy them etc., Mesothelioma type of cancers are not at all responded in formal therapies and hence one need to undergo gene therapy essentially. Need to have consultations with doctors to overcome their deadly disease.

Gene therapy importance

Doctors decide whether gene therapy is suitable by the following approaches. If genetic disorders are from mutations in one or more genes or whether a normal copy of the gene that is available in the patient is enough to fix the problems in the affected cells, then doctors determine that gene therapy will be more helpful rather than going for traditional methods.

Conclusion

Genetic engineering is a vast topic. Latest Science innovations in the field of genetic engineering yields for gene therapy. Doctors and scientists together working to find out whether gene therapy is the best suitable way for treating deadly diseases like cancer and others. Let us salute for the positive force of gene therapy.

Source:
http://www.biotechblog.org/entry/biotechnology-gene-therapy/