Gene therapy

Question 1

What is gene therapy?

Answer 1

Altering defective genes inside cells to treat genetic disorders and cancers

Question 2

What is the treatment if there are two mutated recessive alleles?

Answer 2

Supplement faulty alleles by adding a working dominant allele

Question 3

What is the treatment if there is one dominant allele?

Answer 3

Silence the dominant allele eg. by adding a bit of DNA in the middle

Question 4

What are the two different types of gene therapy?

Answer 4

Somatic therapy

Germ line therapy

Question 5

What is somatic gene therapy?

Answer 5

Altering the body cells which are affected

Question 6

What are limitations of somatic gene therapy?

Answer 6

• The offspring may still inherit the disease

- It needs to be repeated as there are lots of body cells which may be involved

Question 7

What is germ line therapy?

Answer 7

Altering the alleles in the sex cells

Question 8

What is the main strength of germ line therapy?

Answer 8

The offspring wont inherit the disorder

Question 9

What are ethical issues associated with gene therapy?

Answer 9

• It may unlock a different use of the technology and end up being misused, eg. Designer babies
• It may do more harm than good for example there may be an over expression of genes

Question 10

Why is germ line therapy currently banned?

Answer 10

• The unborn child has no say
• Any additional mutations which may occur will be passed on to the offspring
• Effects of gene therapy are too unpredictable