Gene Therapy. This one is actually used today. Learn more about it in simple, non-text-book-y terms, here... on.. Kyle's Page!
Riiiight.. anyways.. on with the tech talk. Gene therapy is the use of re-built viruses to implant new genetic code into cells, and repair DNA chunks that are screwed up in a way to cause problems. The Body's genetic code is written in a strand of DNA a meter long. and every cell (with a nucleus) has a meter long molecular chain in side it, telling the body exactly what it's suposed to be like. Or so theory likes to say. anyway... Throughout life, your body creates new cells, and each new cell has a copy of the old DNA in it. However, ocasionally, the DNA gets screwed up. Considering how many cells we have, it's rather nice to know our bodies are advanced enough not to melt when it makes a goof. Naturally, though, these "buggered" cells are quirks, and will usually die because the code is telling them to pump out water, and in ammonia, or something like that. It's okay, then, that we're here, because cells like these can rarely hurt us. However, In the uterus, these cells, when they don't die, are problems. Causing birth defects, and many other problems. Gene therapy is the key...
HOWEVER!!! Gene therapy works in a selective way. Basically, you take a virus (non deadly) and change it so it looks for a certain type of cell. Say you have a funky liver. Then you convert the virus to attack cells that are liver-ish. Next, you add the piece of DNA that is right, to replace the DNA that is wrong. so say section 5-9 are funky. You go to someone like a relative, preferrably a brother or sister, and take one cell. Then you take the piece that's wrong in the patient, and right in the donor, from the donor, and put that into the Virus as well. So now you have a Liver seeking virus with extra code. The virus goes in (with millions lke it. Your body hates viruses, even the good ones, like this.. which is good! you'll see.) and searches for your liver.
After finding your liver, the virus attatches, and injects the Virus code, and the good DNA, into a cell. That cell gets fixed, but it also starts making more of the fixy-dna viruses, and will burst, and die, spreading millions of the little viruses. They spread out to attack more liver cells. After a small portion of your lived has gone "pop" your body says "Oh, crap, infection in the liver" and sends it's anti-virus squad. The viruses, by now, are all over the liver, and infecting cells all over it. (this happens when you get a viral diseas too, so it sounds worse than it really is. You all lived through chicken pox, so you knwo that even when a virus is all over, it still gets it's ass kicked.) Your body fights back, and kills the viruses, slaughtering them all over... Even when they're in a cell. Meaning that the cells with good DNA plugged in are saved, and start splitting, making more good DNA cells. Hopefully, the persons problem with the liver was terminal... because now, as the bad cells die off, the good cells grow to replace them, and pretty soon you have a functioning liver again. what a happy ending.
Okay.. Gene therapy sounds good.. but it has it's flaws... Think about the above paragraphs... one is readily apparent. the other is harder.
Yeah... it ONLY works on liver cells... and some problems are all over. Plus, this is strictly a medical treatment, because it only works on certain cells. However, gene therapy could be cosmetic, if a virus were developed that attacked all cells. Skin, Bone, Muscle, liver, eyeballs... all these cells, and even the ones you wouldn't think are different, all have to be attacked (like lips.. you thought it was just pink skin, right? Well.. why do people get cold sores on their lips, but not their nips? The skin is different.) all the cells have to be changed... That's tha glaring problem. And that's keeping Gene therapy in check at the moment. NEXT is the hidden problem. It's great if your liver is fine.. but what about your kids? Your sex cells (egg or sperm) can still carry the funky bad gene that you got rid of in yourself. So either you buy twice as much virus as you need, and save it for your kid, or you're going to have to do something about your sex cells. Gene therapy on those has a special name (that I forgot.. heh..) but it's forever, since your kids, and their kids, and their kids can't pass it on. Sure it can happen in eutero again, but the chances were rare for you, and are just as rare for them.... that is, if you had a problem. So basically, Gene therapy is cool, because you can heal lots of genetic problems, but at the same time, you can't call it a roaring success, because it's very selective, and we still don't have viruses that attack all the cells we want. (I know... you all want a fat-cell virus that kills the fat cells and turns them into energy, so you dont eat, and you get skinny ,and your not hungry... Talk to the nanites.. ) Anyway that's THIS tech-talk... I think next, I'll try to do something more futuristic... teleportation? Orr... maybe... FTLT Untill then, go, and be merry.. and stuff.. AND GO TO THE VILLAIN PAGE AND SIGN MY GUESTBOOK!
~Kyle