Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
Introduction
The title for my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will be ‘Could gene therapy too much for us to handle?’ I have chosen this for my project because gene therapy is advancing every day in modern medicine, and has brought up many ethical, legal and religious issues throughout various communities. Consequently, it is a topic which raises much debate within society. Due to the arguments for and against this technique, I want to find out whether society would be able to handle this revolutionary idea or not. The subject matter itself has a particular interest to me, as I would like to move in to the medical science industry, and I am hoping my research will give me an insight on how far we have advanced since gene therapy was first introduced.
Initial research will help me to form my own opinions, and get an idea of the general opinions on the subject. I then plan to send out a survey on more specific aspects of gene therapy, and gather the opinions of family and friends. I feel all of this information will give me enough insight to come to a well-educated conclusion.
Could gene therapy be too much for us to handle?
Gene therapy is a technique used to treat or prevent genetic diseases. It involves inserting corrective genes that have been designed in a laboratory, into a patient’s cells, which will then correct the missing or defective gene. To insert the corrective genes into a cell, they will use an adenovirus vector. The viral vector will contain the new DNA, and when introduced into the nucleus, the genetic information should be transcribed just like any other gene (1). They can replace the mutated gene which causes disease, inactivate the mutated gene, or introduce new genes to help fight the disease (2).
http://www.genetherapynet.com/viral-vectors/adenoviruses.html
Gene therapy is still in the experimental