Name: Jonah Andrea C.

Gaddi Date: May 23, 2023

Section: PSY2A
Science, Technology, and Society
M12 Activity 1 Analysis Essay

Vectors must be capable of efficiently delivering genetic material into cells, and there are several
types of vectors. Because of their inherent capacity to carry genetic information into cells,
viruses are now the most often employed vectors in gene treatments. A virus is changed to
reduce its potential to cause infectious illness before it can be utilized to deliver therapeutic
genes into human cells. Gene therapy can be used to alter cells both within and outside of the
body. A doctor will inject the vector containing the gene directly into the patient while using gene
therapy to change cells within the body. Gene therapy attempts to cure sickness or increase
your body's capacity to fight disease by replacing a broken gene or adding a new gene. Gene
therapy has the potential to cure a broad variety of ailments, including cancer, cystic fibrosis,
heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia, and AIDS.

Cell therapy tries to treat illnesses by repairing or changing specific populations of cells, or by
employing cells to transport medication across the body. Cell therapy involves cultivating or
modifying cells outside of the body before injecting them into the patient. The cells might be
autologous (from the patient) or allogeneic (from a donor). Gene therapy tries to cure illnesses
by replacing, inactivating, or introducing genes into cells, either within or outside the body (in
vivo) Some treatments are classified as both cell and gene therapies. These medicines function
by modifying genes in certain cell types and putting them into the body. Gene silencing and
gene correction are two terms used interchangeably. While each of these procedures introduces
distinct sorts of gene-based modifications, they all begin with the same thing: your stem cells
are harvested and transported to a lab for modification.

Current gene therapy treatment research has concentrated on targeting bodily (somatic) cells
such as bone marrow or blood cells. This form of genetic change cannot be passed down to a
person's offspring. However, gene therapy might be directed at egg and sperm cells (germ
cells), allowing the genetic modifications to be passed down to future generations. This method
is referred to as germline gene therapy.
The concept of germline changes is contentious. While it may protect future generations in a
family against a certain genetic condition, it may impact fetal development in unanticipated ways
or have long-term adverse effects that are unknown. People who will be affected by germline
gene therapy cannot choose whether or not to get the treatment since they have not yet been
born. Current ethical controversies regarding stem cell-based therapy are focused on the
unlimited differentiation potential of iPSCs which can be used in human cloning, as a risk for
generation of human embryos and human-animal chimeras. Stem cells are the only cells in your
body that can differentiate into multiple cell types, such as blood, bone, and muscle cells. They
also restore tissue injury. Stem cells are being used to treat blood cancers and blood disorders.
Medical experts think stem cells have the potential to cure a wide range of ailments.