Somatic Gene Therapy Essay -- Genetics Science Ethics Essays

Somatic Gene Therapy To a parent, the thought of their child having a severe, yet rare genetic disease brings guilt, sadness, and responsibility to an aching heart. Parents who see their child pass through life with the weight of a terminal illness often wish in their hearts that the curse had been placed upon them rather than their child. To some, the thought of the old clichà © "no parent ought to see their child die" seems to swim endlessly in their mind. The hope for a cure fills the hearts of many waiting on the edge of their seats in hopes for a better quality of life for themselves, loved ones, and human kind. The news of success with a novel technology in putting to rest these diseases brings a purpose in life. Such is the case with Ashanti DeSilva, a four-year-old girl diagnosed with severe combined immune deficiency (Human Gene Therapy). Ashanti hardly lived what would be call a normal life, confined to her sterile home where she battled common childhood diseases, like the cold, with massive amounts of antibiotics. She lived a life of separation, avoiding contact with the public and even those she loved. With a compromised immune system due to a missing gene in her genome, she was vulnerable to every passing germ. On September 14, 1990, Ashanti received a life changing treatment as the first approved gene therapy. In the procedure the researchers removed white blood cells from Ashanti, which were then grown in a lab. These cells were then spliced with the missing gene and infused back into Ashanti. Although this is a treatment and not a cure, Ashanti can now live a life she and her parents dreamed of. She can now attend school and play with friends and family without fear of contact, thereby living a more... ...lt;http://www.wiley.co.uk/genmed/clinical/> Human Gene Therapy (2000). National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature. (Online) 20Nov04. <http://www.georgetown.edu/research/nrcbl/scopenotes/sn24htm>. Questions and Answers About Gene Therapy (1993). National Cancer Institute. (Online) 20Nov04. <http://www.cancernet.nci.nih.gov/clinpdq/therapy/Questions_and_Answers_About_Gene_Therapy.htm>. Rubanyi, G. (2001). The Future of Human Gene Therapy. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 22,3, pp. 113-142. Walters, LeRoy, and Julie Gage Palmer. Ethics of Human Gene Therapy. Oxford University Press, New York. 1997. Williams, D. (2003). Gene Therapy-New Challenges Ahead. Science. 302, 5644, pp. 400. Wilson, J. (1997) What Is Gene Therapy? The Institute for Human Gene Therapy. (Online) 20Nov04. <http://www.med.upenn.edu/ihgt/info/whatisgt.html>.