The Father of Gene Therapy Shares What the Future Holds With Genomics

Pioneer in the world of Gene therapy, Dr. Theodore Friedman shares with us today the exciting future of what gene therapy holds. Listen in as we hear how manipulating certain lacking or misbehaving genes from causing disease has been proven in several types of diseases through clinical experimentation and how it will benefit future generations. We discuss whether or not it will be a solution to all disease. What the census is on how fast it will take or the prediction of genomic therapy within the scientific world. Gain greater awareness of gene modification within the world sport arena (Olympics), what kind of testing has been approved, used and how the tests are able to find modified genes or the presence of agents used to deliver those editing genes. What is the ethical answer of testing in sports when certain individuals naturally have genes that give increased ability to perform at a higher level than others?

Applying Gene Therapy

Attack of genetic disease - using your genes as your tools for treatment rather than pharmaceutical drugs. The Molecular Biology field starting asking this question in the 1970s of how to manipulate genes in cells and living organisms to prevent the expression of disease causing genes. Introducing new genes or modifying genes with experimental testing certain diseases are being able to be manipulated or managed. How will the genes be edited with those that have existing diseases present not just a gene known to cause disease? Not all genes can be manipulated – there will still need to be preventative action, people will still have illnesses as not everyone has access to genomic testing and information on how to prevent disease through gene therapy. How will all of this sophisticated knowledge be delivered to all types of people? For gene manipulation to work the editing gene has to be delivered at the right time, to the right cell in the correct controlled situation for it to work properly.

Using Gene Therapy to Enhance Sport Performance

Which if you didn't hear in the 2016 Olympic Games there was testing for a gene known as EPO (Erythropoietin) within athletes.

As this awareness has been around for a decade and through research and scientific understanding testing was made available for detection of EPO distributed through the AAV virus into the person's genomes.

With new technology emerging testing will and will not be possible depending on how the gene is manipulated or delivered into the athlete's correct cells.

Most are being edited through various agents/viruses that more often than not do leave a fingerprint or sequence that may be found in current approved tests.

Other attributes of enhancing an athletes' performance is to use gene therapy to knock out or minimize a gene such as Myostatin which may inhibit muscle cell growth and differentiation.

This also can be tested by looking for a mutant myostatin gene – which may be detected by a mixture of several different genomes.

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