临床医学英语幻灯Unit 3new.ppt

Unit 3 Gene Therapy Questions to consider: What is a gene ? What is gene therapy ? Give your personal comment on gene therapy. What is a gene ? the basic unit of genetic material, which is carried at a particular place on a chromosome. Originally it was regarded as the unit of inheritance and mutation but is now usually defined as a sequence of DNA or RNA that acts as the unit controlling the formation of a single polypeptide chain. What is gene therapy? Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient’s cells instead of using drugs or 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 only being tested for the treatment of diseases that have no other cures. Gene therapy is the introduction of genetic material into cells for therapeutic purposes. Recent scientific breakthroughs in the genomics field and our understanding of the important role of genes in disease has made gene therapy one of the most rapidly advancing fields of biotechnology with great promise for treating inherited and acquired diseases. Many human diseases are caused by the absence or inappropriate presence of a protein. Biotechnologys first promise was to isolate and produce these natural proteins through genetic engineering and recombinant technology. The protein could then be a