Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual’s cells and tissues to treat a disease. The new genes can be inserted directly into the patient’s cells using a virus or other gene delivery method. Once in place, the new genes can add, remove, or alter the expression of proteins.
The approach is most commonly used to treat genetic diseases, but it also holds promise for treating cancer and other diseases. Cancer cells often have altered proteins that allow them to grow uncontrollably. Gene therapy may be able to alter these proteins and stop the cancer from growing.
In recent years, gene therapy has shown some success in treating certain genetic diseases in people. However, the approach is still considered experimental and has many limitations. For example, it is difficult to deliver genes to all of the affected cells in the body. Additionally, there is a risk that the new genes will not function correctly or will have unintended consequences.
Despite these challenges, researchers are optimistic about the potential of gene therapy and continue to investigate its use for various diseases