Gene therapy is a treatment method that involves adding, deleting, or correcting genetic material to cure a condition. The way a protein, or a collection of proteins, is made by a cell may be altered by modifying genetic material. To put it another way, gene therapy tries to modify the quantity or kind of protein generated by a cell by giving it a new set of instructions. Gene therapy cures illness at the genetic level by altering the instructions for protein creation, in this article we will read about gene therapy classification.
Gene therapy classification-
Now we will learn more about gene therapy, classification of gene therapy and lastly, we will look at what gene therapy is and its types.
Gene therapy-
Gene therapy is a kind of medical treatment or preventive that includes correcting a genetic problem. Gene therapy, rather than pharmaceuticals or surgery, might be used to heal an ailment by altering a person’s genetic makeup.
The first gene therapy process, known as gene transfer or gene addition, was designed to help fight an illness by inserting a new gene into cells and replacing the disease-causing mutated copy with a non-faulty copy.
New genome editing research (for example, CRISPR-Cas9) is a tool for repairing genetic variations that uses a new approach. Rather than inserting new genetic information into cells, genome editing employs molecular tools to change the cell’s existing DNA; this is the definition of gene therapy.
Classification of gene therapy-
There are mainly two types of gene therapy, germline and somatic gene therapy.
Germline treatment- It is the process of altering genes in germ or gamete cells, such as sperm or ova. Germline treatment would be given during reproduction, when the modified gamete cells unite to produce a zygote, when the modified gamete cells combine to form a zygote. During the development of progeny, the zygote splits and passes on the changed gene to all other cells of the body. Germline treatment, in this manner, affects the DNA of future generations.
Although germline treatment has the potential to treat genetic disorders, governments in countries such as Switzerland, Australia, and Germany have banned its usage because to concerns about the unknown hazards of the therapy and if it would have long-term repercussions on future generations. Germline treatment is also prohibitively costly, limiting its practical use.
Somatic gene therapy- Rather than using germ cells or gametes, somatic gene therapy involves inserting therapeutic DNA into body cells. This implies that the therapy’s effects are limited to the person who is receiving it and are not passed onto future generations.
In comparison to germline gene therapy, the area of somatic gene therapy has less ethical concerns. While this is true, this treatment method is still in its infancy.
The effective insertion of the new gene into the genome is the first obstacle in somatic gene therapy. Integrating the changed gene into the incorrect section of the DNA, on the other hand, may cause sickness rather than prevent it. In addition to necessitating the production of the desired gene, the new gene’s expression must be managed to avoid overexpression, which might lead to illness.
What is gene therapy and its types-
As we have already discussed, gene therapy is a research-based way of treating sickness by altering the patient’s genetic makeup. In most cases, gene therapy entails implanting a healthy copy of a defective gene into the patient’s cells.
Germline gene therapy and its procedure- A strand of DNA is transported to the cells that produce eggs and sperm. The effects of gene therapy will be passed on to the patient’s children and future generations. This involves inserting ‘normal’ human genes into the parents’ eggs or sperm, as well as the fertilised egg or early embryo of the baby. The goal would be to change the future child’s genetic inheritance.
This might be done to prevent a hereditary disease or to introduce a ‘enhancing’ genetic mutation. There have been no human germ line gene therapy trials, and the scientific world has an unofficial prohibition on such study in individuals. Its usefulness and worth are both unknown.
New genes have been successfully put into the germ lines of other animals, however with limited success. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, on the other hand, allows parents to choose embryos based on genetic variances, as long as the desired variants were produced by the parents themselves.
Somatic gene therapy and its procedure- The target cells might be bone marrow cells, which are easily isolated and re-implanted. Because bone marrow cells grow throughout a person’s life in order to produce blood cells, this procedure works only if the gene you want to transfer has a biological purpose in the blood.
A gene with a biological role in the lungs, muscle, or liver, for example, would need to be transferred to those organs. In many cases, getting to the right tissue, or ensuring that a gene is delivered where it is needed if it is required in several tissues (e.g., muscles across the body), is a major challenge.
Conclusion-
In this article we read about what we mean by gene therapy, types of gene therapy or we can say about gene therapy classification and the uses in our lives to treat the issue for the betterment of the human world. Gene therapy is a potential new treatment option for a variety of disorders, including cancer, hereditary diseases, and some viral infections. However, further research is needed to establish that these procedures are safe and effective. Currently, gene therapy is only used to treat disorders that have been shown to be unsuccessful with existing treatments.