Bluffer’s guide to gene therapy
- Image via Wikipedia
This animated video which includes all the explanation of how gene therapy works with captions is well worth a look.
It explains in the simplest of terms, how gene therapy has developed and why scientists believe this area of biotechnology offers the greatest opportunities for eradicating disease and illness.
The film is just under 10 minutes long but tends to run out of steam a little around the five minute mark when the music from Creed ends. Pretty good though.
dremchyld — December 16, 2007 — Project for Biology 111. 3dB. Wed Pm. Biotechnology Project on Gene Therapy. Rebecca Proctor, Chiquetta Silver, and Shamonia Wright.
During the video, among others, one of the fears raised is that of the ethical side of gene therapy tests and related scientific studies. It’s not only about ‘playing God’ as some people see it. It actually is a matter of life and death for so many people, with diseases and conditions that can’t be treated with conventional medecines.
Actually, what do people really know about gene therapy and related issues? This survey report (although dated few years back) gives an insight:
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_peda/documents/web_document/wtx026421.pdf
“Not surprisingly, then, beliefs about the current state of gene therapy tended to be inaccurate. More than half of the sample (60%) thought that some diseases could already be treated by altering genes.”
Surely, more videos like this that inform the public about gene therapy are needed, there’s no doubt about that. How long until we see it in everyday medical treatment? What would be the costs to introduce it on mass scale? And most importantly – would standard drug makers allow gene therapy to take their share of the market?