By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Emotional Peace: The Psychological Benefits Of Funeral Preplanning
    October 2, 2023
    Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
    October 2, 2023
    First Aid Training Enhancing Workplace Health and Safety
    September 25, 2023
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting
    July 15, 2011
    Is Kathleen Sebelius Listening to the NCPA?
    August 29, 2011
    10 Things You didn’t Know Were in The Affordable Care Act
    July 17, 2012
    Latest News
    Job Seekers with Disabilities Should at Health Insurance Benefits
    September 12, 2023
    Reasons That Drug Prices Are Rising to Unsustainable Levels
    September 12, 2023
    How Revenue Lifecycle Management Helps Healthcare Providers to Optimize Business Operations
    September 6, 2023
    The Hidden Benefits of Practice Exams for Medical Professionals
    September 6, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: New Breakthroughs in Gene Therapy are Changing Medicine
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > New Breakthroughs in Gene Therapy are Changing Medicine
SpecialtiesTechnology

New Breakthroughs in Gene Therapy are Changing Medicine

David Caldwell
Last updated: 2018/02/12 at 8:05 PM
David Caldwell
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

The field of gene therapy seems to be at a turning point. After decades of research, gene therapy procedures are beginning to bear amazing results. Procedures are finally beginning to receive FDA approval. These recent breakthroughs are bringing new hope to people with life-threatening congenital diseases.

Contents
How does gene therapy work?Getting closer to a cancer cureNew cures for blood disordersRestoring sight and other miracles

How does gene therapy work?

Every cell in the human body contains long, complex molecules, called DNA. These molecules control the formation of different types of cells and serve as a blueprint for the formation of the entire organism. Genes make up DNA molecules. Life-threatening illnesses like cancer, sickle cell anemia and blindness occur when genes are damaged or missing from the DNA.

With gene therapy techniques, doctors replace damaged or missing genes with new ones to repair defective DNA. There are miraculous cases of people cured of terrible diseases that were previously incurable. 

More Read

health software development outsourcing

Benefits of Outsourcing Healthcare Software Development Services

5 Tech Apps and Gadgets to Maintain Your Health Connectivity
How To Make Dental Veneers Last a Lifetime
Step-by-Step Guide to EHR Implementation
Exploring Affordable Options for Eucrisa to Treat Eczema

Getting closer to a cancer cure

Last year saw significant progress in gene therapies for cancer. The FDA approved new radical treatments that use cells from a patient’s immune system to combat rare forms of cancer. In this treatment, called CAR-T therapy, doctors remove a patient’s own T cells. They then reprogram their DNA so the cells are better able to find and destroy cancer cells.

This treatment is currently in research for young adults and children who have a specific type of leukemia. It will be marketed under the name Kymriah. Many patients who were successfully treated are still in remission years later. The FDA views CAR-T therapy as the first legitimate gene therapy that will be available in the United States.

New cures for blood disorders

Last year saw some amazing breakthroughs, including a case where a teenage boy was cured of sickle-cell disease. Sickle-cell disease causes the cells to become thin and elongated rather than round and flat. This happens due to a genetic mutation of red blood cells. This malformation makes blood cells clump together, impeding blood flow, which can be life-threatening. 

Doctors cured the boy by replacing bad genes in a sample of his red blood cells with good genes. After placing the healthy cells back into his bloodstream, the boy’s body was able to create healthy blood cells. After two years, the patient has enough healthy blood cells to avoid suffering any symptoms of the disease. Hopefully, patients worldwide may soon have access to this procedure by visiting a stem cell treatment center or a clinic that specializes in regenerative medicine.

Restoring sight and other miracles

Patients haven’t only been cured of cancer and blood disease. Gene therapy has also restored vision to people who were losing their sight. A treatment called Luxturna treats retinal diseases by correcting a genetic mutation that causes people to gradually lose their vision.

Gene therapy can rebuild damaged skin as well. Recently a boy with a genetic skin disorder who was suffering from a severe infection received new skin from a gene therapy procedure. Researchers accomplished this by taking samples of the boy’s undamaged skin stem cells and infusing them with normal DNA. They grew sheets of new skin with these healthy cells in the laboratory. They then surgically replaced the damaged skin on the boy’s body.

Gene therapy is an important step forward for medicine because it tackles the root causes of disease rather than just using drugs to treat the symptoms. The field has reached a major turning point now that the FDA has approved a cancer treatment for use in the United States. Europe currently offers many other treatment options. Many more treatments will soon become available in the near future.

TAGGED: gene therapy, health, Medical Field, medicine

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
David Caldwell February 12, 2018
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article How blockchain can evolve healthcare system? How Blockchain can Evolve Healthcare System?
Next Article How Healthcare Providers Can Use Artificial Intelligence to Generate More Revenue

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

drug-free lifestyle
Healthy Routines Post-Rehab: Building A Drug-Free Lifestyle
Addiction Addiction Recovery October 2, 2023
emotional peace regarding funeral
Emotional Peace: The Psychological Benefits Of Funeral Preplanning
Wellness October 2, 2023
Andropause hormonal decline
The Benefits of TRT for Andropause and Hormonal Decline
Wellness September 28, 2023
cancer-prevention
The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention
Cancer September 28, 2023

You Might also Like

cancer-prevention
Cancer

The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention

September 28, 2023
dental implant
Dental health

Cost Analysis of Dental Implants in Australia

September 28, 2023
quality of life
Technology

Elevating Quality of Life: An In-depth Examination of Stairlift Technological Advancements

September 17, 2023
Dermatology and skin wellness
SkinSpecialties

The Intersection Of Dermatology And Wellness: A Holistic Approach To Skin Health

September 11, 2023
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US
© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?