A Summary Of Gene Therapy Essays - Molecular Biology, Gene Delivery

A Summary Of Gene Therapy Essays - Molecular Biology, Gene Delivery A Summary Of Gene Therapy A SUMMARY OF GENE THERAPY Many diseases seen today are the result of a defective gene in the DNA of the patient and can not be cured using the traditional methods such as antibiotics and antiviral medication. The victims are now looking to gene therapy as a potential cure for their problems. Bob Williamson introduces us the concept, procedures, and problems associated with gene therapy in his article, Gene Therapy. Along with the appearance of the recombinant DNA technology, it becomes possible for human beings to isolate, study, and change gene in the laboratory. Gene Therapy is the process of replacing a defective gene inside a patients DNA with a working gene that will produce the correct gene products. The genetic diseases in which a single known gene does not function properly, such as sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, are most suitable to be treated with the gene therapy. There are two types of gene therapy in curing these diseases, patient therapy and embryo therapy. In the process of the patient therapy, the first step is identifying the defective gene and isolating a normal counterpart. To obtain correct gene action, it may be necessary to put it into the correct site on the host cell chromosome, or even to delete the defective gene, and the DNA can then be replicated each time the host cell divided. But if the new cell is injected directly into the patients body, it will be subject to the bodys immune system that will recognize it as foreign and target it to be destroyed along with the healthy DNA that it is carrying. So the cells extracted from the patient are to be treated and adding the new gene in a test tube in the laboratory to make sure that the DNA is inserted in an appropriate place in the genome, and the cells can then be returned to the patients body. Now it is possible to offer the parents an antenatal diagnosis to look over if the fetus is affected by some single gene defects. If it does, the parents can choose embryo therapy to cure it rather then abortion. While the basic process is similar with the one of patient therapy, to do an embryo therapy is a little bit easier than a patient therapy, because the immune rejection system of the embryo is not fully developed. The new DNA will not be ejected, while the former DNA will be altered. Gene therapy seems to be a promising and positive step for the medical community, but ethical questions arise every day as we discover more and more about the contents of the human genome. Does any person, whether well or ill, deserve respect as an individual? If the answer is affirmative, then carrying out experiments on patients, as Dr. Martin Cline of the University of California attempted to do in 1980, is fundamentally unethical. The clinicians must examine their own consciences and decide whether they behaved correctly and with full knowledge of the proposed treatment. Society has decided that part of it is that a termination of pregnancy before approximately 3 months is allowable if the child would suffer a serious handicap, but how to define a serious handicap. Is it ethical to terminate the pregnancy, if there is still a chance for the embryo to be normal? As the treatment of an early embryo will alter its inheritance, whether gene therapy poses long-term genetic problems to human inheritance? These are questions that will have to be answered by both the medical community and the patients, and there are no clear precedents at this time. Gene therapy has a promising potential to improve the lives of those who have diseases that have until now been death sentenced, but to take it into real practice human beings still have a long way to go.

Internment Camps essays

Internment Camps essays It prompted America's entry into World War II. It took citizens by surprise. It grabbed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's concern. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. American battleships Arizona, Tennessee, West Virginia, and California were sunk. As a result over 2,400 American soldiers and civilians were killed and even more injured. After prior mobilization for war, the action taken by the Japanese prompted America's attention to war efforts. Meanwhile, President Roosevelt feared the Japanese American's were capable of sabotage. Roosevelt, on February 19, 1942, signed Executive Order 9066. This called for the eviction and internment of all Japanese Americans. The Japanese were housed in what are known as the Japanese American Internment Camps (internment camps). This decision made, in part, by President Roosevelt would have a lasting affect on the Japanese Americans. The executive order given by Roosevelt gives insight on the purpose for the relocation of the Japanese. The order states that 'successful prosecution of war? means implementing ever system necessary to protect America from espionage and sabotage of the national-defense system (?Executive Order? 1). The fact that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor made the Japanese Americans suspect of this sabotage. Roosevelt gave the Secretary of War authorization to use any and all Executive Departments, Independent establishments, and other Federal Agencies in his activation of this executive order (?Executive Order? 1). The military felt that Japanese Americans would be able to help the Japanese invasion more so than any other Americans(?Executive Order? 1). Authority begin to put in order organizations to assist in the relocation. There were several organizations created to assist the evacuation and relocation of the Japanese. The U.S. government accepted the responsibility of reestablishing the lives of the Japanese. To carry out this responsibility, the Presi...

Text Analysis on the Tribal Drum ( radio ) from it's historical Essay

Text Analysis on the Tribal Drum ( radio ) from it's historical background to the future of the radio - Essay Example Radio was first invented in the 1860s, but the real radio became alive in 1866. This was demonstrated by Mahlon Loomis an American dentist. Body The article explains about the tribal drum, which is the radio. England and America were against the radio but could not evade its tribal magic. It was referred to as tribal since it brought the minds of people together. Radio had its monopolistic effects on the people, and as such much attention was put to radio especially in the totalitarian countries. Monopoly of the radio was brought about by the government in order to control the people. Although radio has monopolistic effects it cannot be counted to be part of the uses of radio and no inference can be made. Monopolistic effects have less social importance than is overall assumed. An example is Hitler who did not win by radio popularity as his enemies controlled radio but by the assurance of a somnambulist. Thus, even though the radio has controlling effects on people its impacts have l ess weight on the social preferences and importance. In a radio poll, an individual commented that he is more engrossed in radio than a book. This does not mean that the radio will influence the person; the person is using radio to create a private space for himself or uses it for homework and other functions. Examples are seen all over in the contemporary planet where an individual will exclude themselves from communal TV viewing and be by himself listening to the radio. This is just for private purposes amidst crowds. The Radio’s Role in Design Radio has portrayed people in the right or wrong way since listeners can only hear the voices and not see pictures of the owners of the sounds. Therefore, radio has played an enormous role in design as seen in a number of public figures lives and success rates. There has been a shift of radio from entertainment to a nervous information system public figures used it as a campaign strategy advertisement. Senator Mc Carthy was successfu l while he used radio as his medium of advertisement and campaign, but with the coming of TV, he switched. This saw his downfall as people heard his words or strategy while judging his looks. This made him lose as people are more judgmental with pictures than with sound. Thus, the design of radio being audio is significant as it causes anonymity thus judgment on purpose not bias. The same fate befell Nixon as he seemed superior on radio against Kennedy on the presidential debates, but when they appeared on TV people judged him harshly saying that he looked ‘phony’ or not likely to be telling the truth. In other words, his appearance was not convincing as his words thus the radio role in design took place. The same fate befell even entertainers like actress Marilyn Monroe. Other public figures like F.D.R learnt from the mistakes of his predecessors when it came to the role of radio in design. He pressurized the press creating the right atmosphere for his radio speeches. He knew that TV significantly shifts his whole political ideas, public mix and present him with problems: thus he discovered how to use press in close relation to radio. According to architect Le Corbusier words said in the dark have new meanings; they are rich and have different textures. The ear has been proven to be hyper esthetic that is in tolerant, closed and exclusive as compared to the neutral eye