Answer:
Gene therapy is a collection of methods
that allows the correction of gene defects diagnosed in a child or embryo.
Correction of a genetic defect involves the delivery of anormal gene into the
individual or embryo to take over the function of and compensate forthe
non-functional gene.
The first clinical gene therapy was
given in 1990 to a 4 yrs old girl with Adenosine Deaminase(ADA) deficiency.
ADA deficiency is caused due to
the deletion of gene for Adenosine Deaminase. It can be cured by bone marrow
transplantation or by enzyme replacement therapy. In both the approaches, it is
not completely curable.
It may recurrent in nature
because in the process of gene therapy, lymphocytes used are found to be mortal
in nature and the patient requires periodic infusion of such genetically engineered
lymphocytes.
For permanent cure, gene
isolated from the bone marrow cells producing ADA is introduced into the cells
at early embryonic stages.
You need to login to perform this action.
You will be redirected in
3 sec