Gene Therapy & Diseases It May Cure

Gene therapy and manipulation are controversial issues. As a result, research in this field is being strictly regulated. In fact, certain types of genetic research were banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from January to April of 2003, according to the Human Genome Project Information site.

FDA

• The Human Genome Project Information website states that the first clinical trials for gene therapy started in 1990. Experiments are still being conducted, but as of 2009 the FDA had not approved the use of any human gene therapies.

Cure Potential

• Gene therapy may have the potential to cure hereditary blindness, some cancers, deafness, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell diseases and X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, or X-SCID (commonly called bubble baby syndrome).

Fixing Genes

• Defective genes are repaired either by being replaced by good genes, by a process of reverse mutation, or by being regulated and controlled.

Obstacles to Gene Therapy

• To be an effective cure, therapeutic genes must be able to function for a longer period of time, must be able to avoid the body's tendency to attack foreign objects, and must stop the viruses that deliver them into the body from causing harm. Researchers have yet to discover a way to cure health problems caused by more than one mutated gene.

Experimentation

• Many of the experiments conducted in regard to gene therapy have been done on mice and other animals. Human trials have been extremely limited.