Somatic gene therapy involves replacing undesired or faulty alleles in body cells with healthy alleles.Germline gene therapy involves replacing undesired or faulty alleles in germ cells or the early embryos with healthy alleles.So far somatic gene therapy has been used in patients with retinal diseases. The patients gained some vision.Somatic gene therapy has also been used to treat immune diseases, myeloma, leukaemia and haemophilia. However, it can only provide a temporary solution.Germ line cell gene therapy has been successfully carried out with animal embryos but there are ethical concerns about the therapy in humans.There are concerns that it may violate the human rights of the unborn child or that its use may be extended to altering the embryo so that the child has desirable cosmetic characteristics.
Gene Therapy
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Specification: AQA Biology (7402), A-level, 3.8.4.1 Recombinant DNA technology. Topic: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Key terms in this lesson
- positive feedback
- A control mechanism in which a change in a factor brings about effects that amplify the change further, rather than reversing it.
- mutation
- A random change in the base sequence of DNA (a gene mutation) or in the structure or number of chromosomes (a chromosome mutation).
- genotype
- The genetic constitution of an organism, i.e. the particular combination of alleles it possesses.
More in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
- Ethical Concerns - microorganisms
- GM plants
- Patenting
- GM animals
- DNA Probes
- DNA Hybridisation
- Locating Specific Alleles with Probes
- Genetic Screening
All 23 lessons in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology · All AQA A-level Biology topics