gene therapy

gene therapy

noun

Definition of GENE THERAPY

: the insertion of usually genetically altered genes into cells especially to replace defective genes in the treatment of genetic disorders or to provide a specialized disease-fighting function

— gene therapist noun

Examples of GENE THERAPY

1. advances in the science of gene therapy

First Known Use of GENE THERAPY

1971

gene therapy

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of GENE THERAPY

: the insertion of usually genetically altered genes into cells especially to replace defective genes in the treatment of genetic disorders or to provide a specialized disease-fighting function (as the destruction of tumor cells)

—gene therapist noun

gene therapy

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Introduction of a normal gene into an individual in whom that gene is not functioning, either into those tissue cells that normally express the gene (curing that individual only) or into an early embryonic cell (curing the individual and all future offspring). Prerequisites for each procedure include finding the best delivery system (often a virus) for the gene, demonstrating that the transferred gene can express itself in the host cell, and establishing that the procedure is safe. Diseases for which gene-therapy research is advanced include cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and familial hypercholesterolemia; research continues on its application for Alzheimer's disease, breast and other cancers, and diabetes. Some aspects of gene therapy, including genetic manipulation and selection, research on embryonic tissue, and experimentation on human subjects, have aroused ethical controversy.

Variants of GENE THERAPY

gene therapy or gene transfer therapy