What Is Gene Therapy?

Gene Therapy is the genetic and cellular level based technologies that is used to identify the cause of the disease and hence to implement for the treatment of the disease. Genes are the basic determinant of heredity and different physiological as well as psychological activities, which are carried on chromosomes. Genes primarily convey instructions to perform different functions through the encoding of proteins. When the genes get altered, the normal encoding functions get changed and it results into genetic dysfunction, hence genetic disease. By using gene therapy, those defective genes responsible for developing various diseases can be corrected.

Generally, in gene therapy, a normal functioning gene is inserted in the place of defective gene by using the vector, a carried molecule which carries the normal therapeutic gene to the client's target cell. The most common vector used in gene therapy is virus, which has a normal capability to encapsulate and to deliver their gene content to human cell in a pathogenic way. After the viruses delivered the therapeutic gene content to the affected human target cell, this therapeutic gene then restore the affected cell to its normal state. In general, four types of viruses are used as vector in gene therapy such as Retroviruses, Adenoviruses, Adeno-associated viruses and Herpes simplex viruses.

There are several other options for gene therapy apart from viral induction methodology. These are (1) direct insertion of therapeutic gene into cell, (2) creation of artificial lipid structure and (3) chemically linking the affected DNA to specific molecule capable of binding special receptor.