But some experiments have shown that when naked DNA is injected directly into muscle tissue, say, the cells start producing whatever proteins the DNA codes for. There are a number of obstacles for gene therapy to overcome, however. Of the approximately 2,000 patients that have been involved in trials of this new medical technology, none has achieved a long -term cure, at least not yet. Researchers say it may be 10 to 20 years before the bugs are truly worked out and gene therapy becomes a widespread method of treating disease. Basic Requirements for Gene Therapy Potential of gene therapy.
Gene therapy offers a new treatment paradigm for curing human disease.
Rather than altering the disease phenotype by using agents which interact with gene products, or are themselves gene products, gene therapy can theoretically modify specific genes resulting in disease cure following a single administration. Initially gene therapy weas envisioned for the treatment of genetic disorders, but is currently being studied in a wide range of diseases, including cancer, peripheral vascular disease, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders and other acquired diseases. Gene identification and cloning. Even though the range of gene therapy strategies is quite diverse, certain key elements are required for a successful gene therapy strategy. The most elementary of these is that the relevant gene must be identified and cloned.