Gene therapy is a type of medical treatment that involves the introduction of genetic material into the body to treat or prevent disease. It is a relatively new form of treatment that is being developed to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer. In this blog, we will discuss what gene therapy is and how it works.
What Is Gene Therapy?
Gene therapy is a type of medical treatment that involves introducing genetic material into the body to treat or prevent disease. It is a relatively new form of treatment that is being developed to treat a wide range of diseases. The genetic material can be inserted directly into the cells or can be administered through an injection or a pill. The genetic material is usually a gene, or a set of genes, that are responsible for the particular condition that needs to be treated.
How Does Gene Therapy Work?
Gene therapy works by replacing, repairing, or supplementing the faulty gene with a healthy gene. This can be done in several ways. The most common method is to insert the new gene directly into the cells. This can be done by using a virus, such as a retrovirus, which carries the new gene into the cell and replaces the faulty gene.
Another method is to use a gene-editing technique called CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to introduce the new gene into the cells. This technique involves the use of a small piece of genetic material that is inserted into the cell and modifies the existing gene.
Gene Therapy in the Treatment of Cancer
Gene therapy is being investigated as a potential treatment for cancer. This is because cancer is caused by changes in the genetic material of the cells. By introducing new genes into the cancer cells, it is possible to target the cancer cells and stop them from growing and spreading.
Gene therapy is being investigated for several types of cancer including breast cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, and melanoma. In some cases, gene therapy is being used in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Gene Therapy for Cancer Treatment in India
Gene therapy is still in the early stages of development and is not widely available in India. However, there are some medical centers in India that are offering gene therapy for cancer treatment. One of the leading centers is the Stemcelline research center in Delhi NCR. They offer gene therapy treatment for cancer patients.
Conclusion
Gene therapy is a potential new form of treatment for a wide range of diseases, including cancer. It works by replacing, repairing or supplementing the faulty gene with a healthy gene. In India, there are some medical centers offering gene therapy for cancer treatment. However, it is still in the early stages of development and is not widely available.
