Precision and Personalized Medicine

Treatment of Genetic Disorders

Gene therapy is hoped to cure or improve treatment of genetic disorders by replacing the mutated or malfunctioned gene, manipulating or turning off the gene causing the disease or stimulate other bodily functions to fight the disease. The most common method is replacement of a malfunctioned or sometimes a missed gene with a healthy one. However, gene therapy poses a risk of potentially serious complications, in the first place due to the method that is used to insert the “new” genes – the use of viruses. These have the ability to identify certain cells as well as to transmit the genetic material into the cells containing malfunctioned or missed gene. For that reason modified viruses are used as vectors or carriers of the healthy genes. This method of insertion of healthy genes may not seem problematic at a first glance but it can cause potentially serious complications as already mentioned earlier.