Hello, and welcome to another episode of Squeaky
Wheel Productions' Disability Series.
This week's topic is Gene Therapy.
What is gene therapy, how does it work, and
why is it important?
We'll find out the answers to each of these
questions and more.
Let's get started!
Gene Therapy is an experimental procedure
that treats, cures or prevents disease by
adding, modifying, or replacing genes in existing
DNA.
The process was first proposed in the early
1970s.
There are two main types of gene therapy:
somatic gene therapy, which is used to modify
cells that produce naturally occurring proteins,
and germ-line gene therapy, which is used
to modify sex cells or embryos.
Now let's look at the process of genetic modification.
Gene therapy works in one of three ways: either
a mutated gene is replaced by a healthy copy
of the gene, a mutated gene is inactivated,
or a new gene is introduced.
A special protein is often used to cut out
damaged segments of DNA, and new genes are
usually introduced using a genetically engineered
retro or adenovirus.
The virus can be injected intravenously or
the cells can be modified outside of the body.
So, what are the applications of gene therapy?
Gene therapy could be used to treat, cure,
or prevent a wide range of health conditions
including cancer, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia,
muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia.
In total, there are more than 4,200 disorders
caused by mutated genes that could be treated
using gene therapy.
Watch this week's vlog to learn more about
genetics.
So, why is gene therapy important?
As previously mentioned, gene therapy could
benefit individuals with a wide range of genetic
conditions.
It has the potential to treat, cure, or prevent
a wide range of health conditions that currently
do not have any other cure.
Although more research is required, gene therapy
has the potential to revolutionize medicine!
Well, that's all for this week.
Now I'd like to hear from you.
Do you think gene therapy is the future of
medicine?
Please let me know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to see
more videos like this one, then please subscribe
to my YouTube channel, or support me on Patreon.
To learn more about genetics, be sure to check
out this week's vlog and the additional resources
below.
Thanks for watching and see you next week!
