Unique Content Article on Neurodegeneration,biomedical research,protein,biotech services,biotech company,biotech,science

The Applications Of Gene Therapy

by Armand Zeiders

There are many diseases affecting human beings that cause the death of neurons in various parts of the body, such as the brain or central nervous system. These diseases include everything from highly common disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease to less common, but still highly debilitating diseases, such as Huntington's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

All four of these disorders yield devastating symptoms, ranging from severe dementia to loss of body function, cognitive function and eventually death. Sadly, there are no cures for any of the aforementioned diseases, just a few treatments that can help to slow the diseases' progressions and sometimes reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with each disorder. Scientists, however, are seeking to change this outlook with the use of gene therapy which might offer a chance to stop these diseases before they become debilitating for the sufferer.

In layman's terms, gene therapy is the introduction of a specific gene into the body which then goes to work to either reverse the effects of a disease or to slow the progression of a disease. A scientist might replace a gene that shows mutation and replace it with a gene that is healthy. The scientist might also introduce a completely new gene into the host, which will fight a disease or deactivate the mutated gene.

Gene therapy does not take the form of a pill, but rather must be delivered into the body's cells using either a non-viral or viral transport. The viruses that are used are altered so that they are safe for the host, and rather than cause a disease, they deliver genetic material to the cell that will help to fight the disease. We often think of viruses as something that brings disease, but in the form of gene therapy, the virus creates changes that impact the body in a positive way.

In addition to using viruses as a transmission method, there is also non-viral gene therapy which includes using naked DNA and magnetofection to provide new genetic material. Both of these methods, as do other non-viral therapy methods, are easier and less costly to produce. Non-viral gene therapy tends to have less of a negative effect on the host in terms of immunogenicity.

Because gene therapy basically attacks a biological problem right at its source, this type of science holds a great deal of hope for the future. Many laboratories and universities around the world currently are working on creating viable medical treatments using gene therapy, in the hopes of finding a way to treat or cure these debilitating neurodegenerating diseases.



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New Unique Article!

Title: The Applications Of Gene Therapy
Author: Armand Zeiders
Email: articles@zerocompany.com
Keywords: Neurodegeneration,biomedical research,protein,biotech services,biotech company,biotech,science,health,business
Word Count: 431
Category: Business
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