Gene Therapy for the treatment of Mesothelioma

Genes are the smallest and base unit of DNA, and through these genes, our heredity and diseases are all passed down for our next-gen progeny. Most of the genes create a specific protein but a diseased gene cannot produce that protein. Thus, the malfunction starts and results in abnormal cell division.

Gene therapy works based on the theory of auto-immunization. It involves replacement, removal, introduction and alteration of genes to provide treatment or to provide prevention for certain disease. Some of the common ways for the scientists are the replacement or transplantation of new genes instead of the faulty ones and this is done by doing mutation selectively.

To perform these above-mentioned functions, it is essential to identify the position of the particular gene need to understand the function and activity of the gene and the way to update the gene with the latest or desired information. In these processes, the most important factor is vector that delivers genes to their desired position/location. The mostly used vectors are virus because delivering foreign genes in the cell are the integral characteristics of virus. Although, for this purpose vector viruses are altered so, that it cannot generate any further disease to the cell, which may cause further illness.

In treating cancer some vectors are send in the affected cells to increase the immunity of the affected cells thus to increase the immunity of the body to fight cancer and in different clinical trials these trials are run successfully all over the world.

Another clinical trial based on gene therapy is the tagging of the cell and sending some suicidal cell at the affected place. It is the typical property of the suicidal cells and in post –tagging phase it is a compound with the patient is treated and this compound is termed as prodrug. Prodrug reacts with the suicidal cells and generates some chemical toxic reaction, thus, the affected cells are destroyed and the aggression can be checked.