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AML (2)

Gene Therapy:

Before that, I will need to use an image.

This should do it. It's small but I'll try to explain.

Normally the way we execute gene therapy is using vectors. Vectors, or viruses, are small and can go into our nucleus to have actions with our genes.

But you might be wondering, VIRUSES ARE DANGEROUS, how can you use that as medicine?

Here comes the fun part. The whole thing about gene therapy is, we REPLACE the dangerous virus gene with the therapeutic gene.

Then, we insert the bio-engineered virus into a target place. In the AML case, we inject it in the bone marrow. The viruses can differenciate some particular cells and go into their nucleus. There they abandon their capsule:

and they insert their modified gene inside their capsule into the cell nucleus. Then the magic works. Normally, it should be programmed to create more viruses using the new gene, but now that it's modified and not dangerous anymore, it'll change the programme of the cell, resulting the treatment to take place.

So here we hope that scientists will work harder in this field because gene therapy may be a future potential treatment to cancer and other gene disorder diseases.

Thank you for taking your time.

AML

Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a.k.a. AML, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow(the place where you make blood cells, for your information) and interfere with the production of normal blood cells.

Symptoms:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Weight loss or loss of appetite
• Anaemia
• Easy bruising or bleeding

Diagnosis:

• Complete blood count(counting the blood cells in your blood)
• Peripheral blood smear
• To be absolutely damn sure, bone marrow aspiration and BIOPSY.

Why it happens:

Because of gene mutations:

• Translocations between Chromosome 8 and 21
• Translocations between Chromosome 15 and 17
• Inversions in Chromosome 16

resulting in the disease.

Current treatment methods: 2 stages

Induction and Consolidation
Induction: Use chemotherapy and kill all the leukemic cells to an undetectable level.
Consolidation: Kill the remaining cells using bone marrow transplant etc etc...

To be continued...

Advantages of Gene Therapy

Published by bexikate on May 11, 2009 in Opinions

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/opinions/advantages-of-gene-therapy/#ixzz1DUPWlXF2

Argument in favor of gene therapy.

In my opinion, in the case of gene therapy, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. First of all, we know that it is not a ‘cure all’ option and we acknowledge that, yes, it is not always successful but it means that a disease can be eradicated for a person and their future offspring, so it is remedied in not just one generation but also in subsequent generations. For example, a baby has just been born who underwent gene therapy in the womb to remove the breast cancer gene, as both parents had strong family histories of the cancer. As a result, unless the child is exposed to lots of carcinogens, she has virtually no chance of developing the cancer. This is one of many cases where a genetic illness has been virtually eradicated.

The first human to receive gene therapy treatment was a 4 year old girl with severe immune-deficiency disease, also known as ‘bubble baby syndrome’. This disease meant that her immune system was practically non-existent and she was vulnerable – a common cold held the possibility of killing her. She had hardly any hope of surviving longer than 15 years, if that. In the therapy procedure, they managed to cure her. Although the girl still needs follow-up treatments, she now leads a normal life when she had no hope before. If it wasn’t for gene therapy, she would have died. Furthermore, you can ‘silence’ a gene. In the case of someone with HIV, which had not yet developed into AIDS, scientists could save them the pain and suffering of the disease by using gene therapy to ‘silence’ the disease before its onset.

People who oppose gene therapy may claim that many patients die. However, it has a high success rate compared to conventional methods of treating these diseases. Indeed, there is a risk of the patient dying during the procedure, but isn’t this the case for almost any operation? Also, there are a few side effects. These include nausea and temporary drowsiness. However, many of you have probably taken a cold or flu remedy this winter, which commonly have these same side effects. But you

In conclusion, gene therapy has the potential to eliminate and prevent hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis and is a possible cure for heart disease, AIDS and cancer. I believe that if people who are opposed to this technique were ever faced with cancer or a child born with a genetic disease, they would change their views. These sceptics would almost certainly choose gene therapy, especially if it was the last hope for them or one of their loved ones – as is the case for many gene therapy patients.

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/opinions/advantages-of-gene-therapy/#ixzz1DUMUf76v