Gene therapy

Although still a very experimental approach, Gene Therapy techniques are currently being developed to treat and prevent many diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis. This includes many diseases that are as yet incurable, such as cancers and many genetically inherited diseases.

Current approaches being investigated are:

1. The "knock out" gene approach - Inactivation or removal of genes that have been mutated and/or do not function in the desired way.

2. The "Replacement" approach - Replacement of disease causing gene mutations with a healthy copy of said gene.

3. The new gene approach - Introduction of a completely new gene into the patient.

Gene Therapy techiniques still remain extremely risky and are still very much in the early stages of development, little is known about the side effects of gene manipulation in human patients.