There are many diseases affecting human beings that cause the death of neurons in various parts of the body, such as the brain or central nervous system. These diseases include everything from highly common disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease to less common, but still highly debilitating diseases, such as Huntington's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
All four of these disorders yield devastating symptoms, ranging from severe dementia to loss of body function, cognitive function and eventually death. Sadly, there are no cures for any of the aforementioned diseases, just a few treatments that can help to slow the diseases' progressions and sometimes reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with each disorder. Scientists, however, are seeking to change this outlook with the use of gene therapy which might offer a chance to stop these diseases before they become debilitating for the sufferer.
The idea behind gene therapy is that scientists can use a specific gene and introduce it into the body to help treat or even prevent a specific disease. The therapies include replacing a mutated gene with a healthy copy of the gene, introducing a wholly new gene to fight a specific disease or rendering a mutated gene inactive.
Gene therapy does not take the form of a pill, but rather must be delivered into the body's cells using either a non-viral or viral transport. The viruses that are used are altered so that they are safe for the host, and rather than cause a disease, they deliver genetic material to the cell that will help to fight the disease. We often think of viruses as something that brings disease, but in the form of gene therapy, the virus creates changes that impact the body in a positive way.
In addition to using viruses as a transmission method, there is also non-viral gene therapy which includes using naked DNA and magnetofection to provide new genetic material. Both of these methods, as do other non-viral therapy methods, are easier and less costly to produce. Non-viral gene therapy tends to have less of a negative effect on the host in terms of immunogenicity.
Scientists around the world are studying the potential of gene therapy, and there is great hope that in the future that this type of therapy can ward off these diseases. Unlike a medication which might simply alleviate effects and make life a bit easier, gene therapy completely alters the structure of cells, hitting the problem directly at the source. In the years ahead, we should see amazing strides in the field of gene research and gene therapy.
All four of these disorders yield devastating symptoms, ranging from severe dementia to loss of body function, cognitive function and eventually death. Sadly, there are no cures for any of the aforementioned diseases, just a few treatments that can help to slow the diseases' progressions and sometimes reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with each disorder. Scientists, however, are seeking to change this outlook with the use of gene therapy which might offer a chance to stop these diseases before they become debilitating for the sufferer.
The idea behind gene therapy is that scientists can use a specific gene and introduce it into the body to help treat or even prevent a specific disease. The therapies include replacing a mutated gene with a healthy copy of the gene, introducing a wholly new gene to fight a specific disease or rendering a mutated gene inactive.
Gene therapy does not take the form of a pill, but rather must be delivered into the body's cells using either a non-viral or viral transport. The viruses that are used are altered so that they are safe for the host, and rather than cause a disease, they deliver genetic material to the cell that will help to fight the disease. We often think of viruses as something that brings disease, but in the form of gene therapy, the virus creates changes that impact the body in a positive way.
In addition to using viruses as a transmission method, there is also non-viral gene therapy which includes using naked DNA and magnetofection to provide new genetic material. Both of these methods, as do other non-viral therapy methods, are easier and less costly to produce. Non-viral gene therapy tends to have less of a negative effect on the host in terms of immunogenicity.
Scientists around the world are studying the potential of gene therapy, and there is great hope that in the future that this type of therapy can ward off these diseases. Unlike a medication which might simply alleviate effects and make life a bit easier, gene therapy completely alters the structure of cells, hitting the problem directly at the source. In the years ahead, we should see amazing strides in the field of gene research and gene therapy.
About the Author:
Armand Zeiders enjoys writing about biomedical research. For more information regarding protein sequencing service, please visit the Primm Biotech site today.
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