Biotechnology: The Applications Of Gene Therapy

Nowadays, biotechnology can be found virtually everywhere around us such as in our foods, drinks, clothes, medicine, plant, animals and many other things that we used and sometimes we doesn’t realize that it is the product from the biotechnology. What is biotechnology? Biotechnology can be defined by the words itself: bios that give the meaning of life, while technology means technique or process or scientific investigation used in the production of product or services to solve the problem. So, biotechnology means the use of technology and living organism for human benefits to solve the problem.

Earlier, biotechnology is applied domestically in animals, plants crops, and also use of the microorganism to make bread, yogurt and cheese in order

Here I will discuss more about the application of biotechnology in gene therapy. Gene therapy is an experimental technology that used gene to treat or prevent the diseases. Gene therapy introducing an active gene into body cells to compensate for the inactivity of the person own gene. Usually, the new DNA that introduced to body cells contains the functioning gene that able to correct the effects of the disease-causing mutation. The first technique was developed in 1972, but has so far had limited success in treating human diseases. Gene therapy has its potential to correct conditions that affect the brain and the central nervous system. Gene therapy can be classified into two types based on the cell that are threated. They are including somatic gene therapy that refers to the transfer of section of DNA to any cell of the body that doesn’t produce sperm or eggs. The effects of gene therapy will not be passed to the patients children. Second is Germline gene therapy which is vice versa with somatic gene

This challenge is quit interest to be learn and known as it may cause the other effect to the patient. Scientist need to steep into this challenge in order to make sure the process went well. Genes or DNA need to be transfer into the body cell. The process need to be in the right place and switching it on, if the delivery process went wrong, it may cause infection and also could cause health problem for patients. Second challenge is to avoiding the immune system. Immune system is functioning to protect the body cells from intruders. Sometimes, the new genes that introduced by the gene therapy is considered as potentially-harmful intruders. This challenge need scientist to find another ways to deliver the genes into the patient cells without noticing by the immune