Gene Therapy
Gene therapies (gene transfer technology) involve one or more experimental techniques for correcting or altering genes, including defective genes associated with physiological or psychological disorders. As has historically been the case with many other novel interventions (such as those that depend on drugs or surgery), debates have arisen between those who believe there is a moral obligation to pursue gene transfer research and those who challenge them as illegitimate or unnatural. As yet there is no strong consensus regarding distinctions between what is morally unacceptable, simply permissible, or obligatory.
Technical Aspects
There are a number of approaches to gene alteration including replacing an "abnormal" gene (i.e., DNA sequence) with a "normal" gene through homologous recombination, repairing an "abnormal" gene through selective reverse mutation, and altering the regulation of a particular gene. The term "abnormal" is placed in quotation marks, indicating that there remains room for disagreement about what constitutes a normal gene, is certainly one source of disagreement about these procedures.
Typically, for mostly practical reasons, gene therapy research involves the insertion of a functional gene into a non-specific location in the genome without removal or correction of the disease-causing gene. This can be done in vitro or in vivo.
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