11+Gene+Therapy

Gene therapy is the insertion of a working gene copy of specific cells of an individual in in order to repair a faulty gene copy. A lot of the times, the inserted gene comes from an animal and inserted into a human. Gene therapy works best in bone marrow cells because they are always multiplying. A common disease to treat with this is SCID or severe combined immunodeficiency. SCID is where an individual's bone marrow cells do not produce a vital enzyme because of a single defective gene.
 * __ Describe: __**

First we need to take an RNA version of the normal allele and insert it into the retrovirus. Then we have to let the retrovirus infect the bone marrow that has been removed from patient and cultured. After that, the viral DNA carrying the normal allele inserts into the chromosome of the affected allele. Finally, the engineered cells are injected into the patient.
 * __ Analyze: __**

If someone has a disease caused by a gene, a doctor can take a healthy, working copy of that gene and replace it with the faulty gene. If done right, the new gene will multiply and hopefully over and destroy the faulty genes, getting rid of the disease or making it more manageable.
 * __ Apply It: __**

This reminds me of organ transplants. If someone’s kidney or something isn’t working properly doctors can ask someone if they are willing to be a kidney donor, giving the affected person their kidney. If they agree to it, the doctor will remove the healthy and unhealthy kidneys, and replace the unhealthy kidney with the healthy one. Now, hopefully the body will accept the new kidney and start working properly again.
 * __ Synthesize: __**

I agree with gene therapy because it can help with a lot of diseases that medicine can’t. It’s kind of like organ doning, which I also agree too. It’s only a few genes or something that they’re removing, nothing to that anybody won’t notice and if it makes someone else’s life easier, then why not?
 * __ Argue For Or Against It: __**



Sources: AP Biology textbook, eighth edition