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Many people know that chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are ways to treat cancer; however there are other ways that cancer can be treated that are still in the experimental stages. Gene therapy is one of these experimental treatment options. Gene therapy is a way of treatment that involves introducing genetic material into a person’s cells which helps to fight and prevent disease. Right now gene therapy is an only being done in clinical trials or research studies with people. If this new type of treatment is successful then it will help to cure many different types of cancer. No longer will patients need to suffer like those you see in direct tv movies.
There are many different ways in which gene therapy can be used to treat cancer. Some of the approaches are to target healthy cells which are more able to help fight cancer by targeting cancer cells and destroying them or preventing their growth. There are studies & surveys (through online survey software) where these healthy genes are used to replace missing or altered genes that cause cancer.
As many people with cancer know, the diminished immune systems is a constant problem. These new genes may also be used to improve a person’s immune response to cancer by helping the body’s natural fight against cancer cells.
Gene therapy can also help to make cancer cells more receptive to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other cancer treatments. This new treatment can also help researchers remove healthy stem cells from the body.
Gene theray may also help to make something called the suicide genes get implanted into the cancer cells. Many people have heard of the suicide gene and have been hoping that it will come to fruition. Basically, the suicide gene will do exactly what it says it will. Suicide genes will cause the cancer genes to deconstruct, meaning that they die.
