What is somatic gene therapy?
gene therapy includes the transmission of good genes to cells to replace harmful genes. There are two specific types: genes transferred to germ cells (reproductive cells) and genes transmitted to somatic cells (body cells). In somatic gene therapy, changed genes are inserted into the affected part of the body or are removed by body cells, treated with changed genes and replaced. People using this type of therapy include patients with diseases such as cancer, haemophilia, cystic fibrosis and muscle dystrophy. Positive aspects that patients may expect include health benefits, safety and less ethical concerns than the therapy of the germ line, but negative aspects may include lifelong treatment and gene delivery problems.
doctors can perform somatic gene therapy in vivo or ex vivo. In the therapy in vivo, doctors transmit a changed gene directly into the body, usually into tissue. For example, genes are inserted into the skin for patients with skin cancer and in muscle for papatients with muscle dystrophy. For Ex Vivo, doctors often remove affected cells, blood cells or bone marrow cells from the patient's body. After inserting the desired gene into cells, they are injected back into the body.
One of the leading professionals of somatic gene therapy is also Con: People who have undergone somatic gene therapy, do not transmit changed genes to their offspring because only body cell cells, not reproductive cells are modified. This is positive because there are no ethical concerns about manipulating the natural development of infants as in the therapy of the germ line gene. In fact, gene therapy on reproductive cells is forbidden in some countries. However, the inability to pass the changed genes may be negative, as the beneficial effects of somatic gene therapy stop in the patient, preventing the possibility of transferring health benefits to future generations.
between DALThe benefits of somatic gene therapy include safety compared to the therapy of the germ line and potentially a change in health benefits in the patient. Possible disadvantages of somatic gene therapy include temporary effects and complications during gene delivery. People who receive somatic gene therapy often need treatment for the rest of their lives, because the body tissue cells in which the genes were inserted are eventually lost. In addition, viruses used by gene therapists to insert genes into cells can sometimes cause a random response of the immune system. There is also a possibility that gene media changes incorrect genes.