In a recent article published by Gizmodo entitled 'The Most Life-Changing Breakthroughs in Genetics of 2017' I was fascinated to learn just how many gene therapies were developed and approved in 2017. We are truly living in an age of technological marvel and to prove my point I'd like to make a bit of commentary on the interesting developments brought up in the article I'm referring to.
1.) The FDA Approved More Gene Therapies than Ever Before!
In a landmark decision made this past August, the Food and Drug Administration approved a treatment for childhood leukemia that works by genetically modifying a patient’s own blood cells to turn them into cancer killers. The FDA called it the first approved “gene therapy,” though experts quibbled over whether that term technically applies. Either way, it was a pretty big deal, and a decision that will pave the way for an era of FDA-sanctioned human gene modification.
This is an outstanding accomplishment and stride in applying modern science to solving a very tragic problem. The idea of transforming blood cells into 'cancer killers' is genius and the fact that its already being applied warms my heart!
2.) Gene Therapy Can Now Restore Skin!
In November, Italian researchers announced that they used a combination of gene and stem cell therapy to almost entirely reconstruct the skin of a seven-year-old boy afflicted with a rare disease called junctional epidermolysis bullosa.
Things just seem to be getting more and more hopeful in regard to new medical treatments. Its hard to believe that they can use gene and stem cell therapy to create new skin! Its a bit scary but I can see this helping so many people that suffer from burn accidents or other skin conditions.
3.) DNA can be edited now!
In November, and for the first time ever, scientists edited a patient’s DNA while it was still inside his body. It was an effort to cure a genetic disorder, and the scientists attempted to so by permanently changing the patient’s genome.
Typically, therapies that alter a patient’s genetics have relied on tweaks made outside of the human body. But in this case, scientists used an IV to deliver billions of copies of a corrective gene into the patient’s body, along with a genetic tool called “zinc finger proteins” that cuts DNA in the right spot in order to create a spot for the new genes. The patient suffered from a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome and was missing an enzyme to break down certain carbohydrates. Theoretically, with the corrected gene, his body should be able to produce that crucial enzyme. Next year, we’ll find out whether it worked.
So modern science has accomplished things we never thought were possible and its only going to get more precise from here. They have found ways to cut DNA and allow bodies to create enzymes that before then were impossible to create due to human disease. This makes me extremely hopeful for the future. I love when science is used to reduce suffering rather than increase it! Lets hope things really move in the right direction in 2018!
Techblogger Wrap Up
These are just a few accomplishments made in the field of gene therapies in 2017. I can only imagine what will be accomplished this year. As @techblogger I have taken the role of informing my readers about technological and scientific developments taking place on a daily basis. Through this discovery we may better understand the present and be in a more empowered situation to direct humanity's future. Thanks for reading!
Please leave thoughts and comments below!
Source:
The Most Life-Changing Breakthroughs in Genetics of 2017 - Gizmodo
Image Source:
Gizmodo
Let the quantum computing be a reality, gene therapy will make a big leap in a short time.
Yes. They are currently making a lot of progress in the field of quantum computing so I'd imagine it won't be long until the technology hits research facilities.
Gene Therapies and DNA modification treatments open up lots of possibilities to save people from suffering.
Absolutely, there are going to be many advances in our lifetimes that apply this technology. I hope to see it do a world of good in the near future!
Gene Therapies and DNA modification treatments open up lots of possibilities to save people from suffering. That's all cool. But at what point should we stop? Overpopulation is already an issue and we are already exhausting Earth's resources at an irreplaceable rate. I fear that as these new gene and DNA modification therapies begin to spread in practice we might have an even bigger overpopulation problem. As well as malicious actors experimenting with super genomes or maybe even gene modifying weapons.
These are good points and problems will be both solved and created with these new technologies. Lets just hope we can solve more than we create!
Gene therapy is a technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease although it is still an experimental procedure. This technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by modifying a gene into a patient’s cells thus avoiding surgery. Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including:
Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene.
Inactivating, or “knocking out,” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly.
Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease.
Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Gene therapy is currently being tested only for diseases that have no other cures.
Gene Therapies is fascinating and beneficial to humanity, but if we use it the right way. Because I'm afraid human exploits it in bad things.
Like nuclear energy, which is a great thing to produce electricity, but human beings have used it to kill thousands of people...
thank you for sharing this with us @techblogger
Gene therapies are critical to bringing relief to sufferers of both well known and rare illnesses. CRISPR, the gene editing tool is a valuable component in the arsenal of weapons against these diseases. This a welcome development.
Great article and very informative. It is amazing that as scientists learn more and more about the human body that there is still so much more to learn.
Wow amazing 🖒🖒🖒
Genetic engineering has the ability to manipulate specific genes so its expression can be controlled.
The control of gene expression can be used as a gene functional for appropriate purposes, such as
diseases cure with gene therapy. This therapy involves DNA as nucleic acid which is transfer to
embryonic or somatic cells of patients with certain diseases. The purpose of the gene therapy is to
switch an abnormal gene to be a functional gene which has a cure effect for the disease. The
functional gene has to substitute the abnormal gene leads to certain disease, either germ line gene
therapy or somatic cells therapy. The gene therapy needs a vector to carry the functional gene to
targeted cells, in vivo or ex vivo. The vector can be used viral or non viral vectors. The possibilities
of achievement of its therapy depend on gene transfer effectiveness and also functional gene
expression. The cancer is the one of diseases which can be treated with the gene therapy due to its
uncontrolled gene of cell proliferation