Genes are the building blocks of inheritance. Passed from parent to child, they contain instructions for making proteins. If genes don’t produce the right proteins or don’t produce them correctly, a child can have a genetic disorder.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. The most common form of gene therapy involves inserting a normal gene to replace an abnormal gene. Other approaches include
- Swapping an abnormal gene for a normal one
- Repairing an abnormal gene
- Altering the degree to which a gene is turned on or off
Although there is much hope for gene therapy, it is still experimental.
Genetics Home Reference
Reference:
– MedlinePlus & National Institutes of Health – https://medlineplus.gov/genesandgenetherapy.html