Drugs/Therapy

Gene Editing Therapy May Help Cure Cancer

By Joie M Gahum | Update Date: Feb 17, 2017 07:20 AM EST

Gene-editing therapy known as CRISPR could help treat cancers and other inherited diseases in the next two decades. With a new technology being developed to cut out faults present in a human's genes - the ones that will cause cancer and other diseases, curing cancer and other diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntingdon's disease becomes possible.

According to The Sun UK, eradicating life-limiting conditions such as the Huntington's disease and cystic fibrosis as well as deadly diseases like cancer can be finally cured in the next two decades. A group of experts is currently closing into the cure for cancer.

This medical breakthrough has been revealed by Dr. Edze Westra, one of the senior researchers at the University of Exeter. According to her, through CRISPR, a form of gene-editing therapy, faulty genes can be finally removed from the DNA and replace them with health DNS strands instead.

This advanced technology will be able to replace genes that may trigger illnesses even before a baby is born. With 4,000 known single gene conditions affecting one percent of the total births worldwide, this milestone is indeed one of the biggest in medical history. Gene editing can also be used to prevent inherited diseases from being passed through future generations.

When the time comes that this medical technology is already available for doctors, they will be able to repair any mutation on the genes that can cause diseases, NY Times reports. Gene editing is also being keenly studied to be able to discover if the possibilities of altering the gene, this time to enhance intelligence or to create humans with physical strength or other characteristics that serve a particular task are indeed conceivable.

Explicit studies are being continuously performed in genetic research to be able to alter the human DNA and prevent serious diseases and disabilities from burdening the next generation. This will lift the fear in parents who are worried to pass on genes that will be detrimental to their offspring's health.

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