What are the advantages and disadvantages of using gene therapy for cancer?
The advantages and disadvantages of using gene therapy for cancer are unfortunately not yet fully known. Initial clinical studies have shown that the use of gene therapy for cancer could be effective treatment, possibly reduce or remove the negative effects associated with traditional cancer therapy such as chemotherapy. However, the main negative aspect is the experimental nature of this treatment because research is still being conducted. Possible side effects of using gene therapy for cancer are not yet known. The cells are divided in the body to replace other dying cells and maintain the body properly functioning. When cells are abnormally divided, they can cause growth that affect other close organs or systems. These growth are called tumors. Cell division is controlled by genes and any mutation in genes can increase the likelihood of cancer development.
Traditional drugs for cancer treatment are generally quite aggressive. In general, tumors are removed surgically, but other surrounding tissue may still be affected. Chemotherapy and radioTherapy is then used to kill the remaining cancer cells, but this hard treatment can also affect healthy cells. Therefore, these treatments often occur side effects such as hair loss. The use of gene therapy for cancer is an exciting idea because it could reduce or completely remove the side effects associated with these other more aggressive treatments.
gene therapy revolves around the idea that some genes have the ability to suppress cell growth or prevent cells to become cancer. The Gene P53 is the most famous of them and is often referred to as the "genome guard". It is a naturally occurring gene known to kill cancer cells, obscures tumor growth and prevents the formation of new cancer cells. The darkness for gene therapy is that if these genes are either extracted or cloned and introduced into an infected area, it could kill oro stop the growth of affected cells with small or no side effects. Test also generate cancer therapy including genes that make the rest of the body more resistant to traditional cancer treatment and increase more susceptible tumors.
The main disadvantages of using gene therapy for cancer are not fully known. This is the main negative aspect in itself. Treatment is still in the phase of clinical trials, and although the results were still positive, the treatment is still experimental. This means that any side effects that occur will be unexpected, and it is perhaps more difficult to control, understand and treat.