Gene Technology Flashcards
How are microbes involved in genetic engineering and manipulation?
-restriction enzymes were produced by bacteria
-adding DNA to prokaryotes is easy = mass production of proteins + medicines
What is gene therapy?
-using various mechanisms to alter a persons genetic material to treat or cure diseases
What are the most commonly used vectors?
-viruses
-they have mechanisms needed to recognise cells + deliver the genetic material into them
What have gene therapies been tested?
-on somatic body cells
-changes in genetic material are targeted to specific cells
What are the two types of somatic gene therapy?
- ex vivo
- in vivo
What is ex vivo?
-the new gene is inserted via a virus vector into the cell outside the body
-blood or bone marrow cells are extracted + exposed to virus which inserts the gene into these cells
What is in vivo?
-new gene is inserted via a vector into cells inside the body
What is the process of ex vivo and in vivo ?
- adult stem cells removed
- virus vector is altered to contain desired gene
- patients cell are altered after exposure to virus - then grown in a lab
- transgenic cells
- injected into body
Is gene therapy in somatic cells permanent?
-no
-but in germ cells it is
What is somatic gene therapy?
-faulty body cells replaced
-allele introduced to target cells
-temporary
What is termine therapy?
-allele introduced to embryonic cells
-gamete DNA altered
-offspring won’t inherit faulty allele
-permanent