Week 9 - Biochemistry

1. Gene Therapy - My Thoughts & Feelings
2. Definitions of Biochemistry - A Review
3. Biochemistry Animations - A Review

1.
'Gene therapy' is a very general term to describe the insertion of genetic proteins into cells by way of either a virus or a variety of other, less successful methods like direct insertion of the genetic material.

Here is a list of problems and ethics regarding gene therapy posted on Wikipedia:

• Short-lived nature of gene therapy - Before gene therapy can become a permanent cure for any condition, the therapeutic DNA introduced into target cells must remain functional and the cells containing the therapeutic DNA must be long-lived and stable. Problems with integrating therapeutic DNA into the genome and the rapidly dividing nature of many cells prevent gene therapy from achieving any long-term benefits. Patients will have to undergo multiple rounds of gene therapy.
• Immune response - Anytime a foreign object is introduced into human tissues, the immune system has evolved to attack the invader. The risk of stimulating the immune system in a way that reduces gene therapy effectiveness is always a possibility. Furthermore, the immune system's enhanced response to invaders it has seen before makes it difficult for gene therapy to be repeated in patients.
• Problems with viral vectors - Viruses, while the carrier of choice in most gene therapy studies, present a variety of potential problems to the patient --toxicity, immune and inflammatory responses, and gene control and targeting issues. In addition, there is always the fear that the viral vector, once inside the patient, may recover its ability to cause disease.
• Multigene disorders - Conditions or disorders that arise from mutations in a single gene are the best candidates for gene therapy. Unfortunately, some of the most commonly occurring disorders, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and diabetes, are caused by the combined effects of variations in many genes. Multigene or multifactorial disorders such as these would be especially difficult to treat effectively using gene therapy.
• Chance of inducing a tumor (insertional mutagenesis) - If the DNA is integrated in the wrong place in the genome, for example in a tumor suppressor gene, it could induce a tumor. This has occurred in clinical trials for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) patients, in which hematopoietic stem cells were transduced with a corrective transgene using a retrovirus, and this led to the development of T cell leukemia in 3 of 20 patients.^[2]
• Religious concerns - among people who believe that humans were created in God's image, some may consider the alteration of an individual's genes as tampering or corrupting God's work.

Deaths have occurred due to gene therapy, including that of Jesse Gelsinger.

from:http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml (1)

Based on these issues, I see gene therapy as a highly underdeveloped, under-researched and highly unaccountable form of treatment. In the article we read about simply mapping the genetic material of certain parasitic organisms that cause illness in human beings. The scientists are very hopeful in their projection of the effectiveness of drugs upon their mapping and understanding of the parasite genome. Considering the ineffectiveness of gene therapy as it now stands and the ineffectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs against viral and bacterial infections, I am doubtful of the truly worthwhile benefit of this research. I see it was a very narrow way to deal with the illness - it requires a very small amount of people to do many hours or years of research that is not guaranteed to work effectively. In my opinion, the time, energy and monies would be better spent if they were spread over a number of research and developmental problem solving projects.

Here is the only really significant quotation from the entire article (emphasis mine):

"Knowing the precise sequence of genetic "letters" that make up the alphabet of the microbes' genes should now allow scientists to design effective drugs and vaccines against the three killers. At present, there are no vaccines or cheap, effective remedies against any of the parasites, each transmitted by the bites of different insects in some of the poorest countries." (The Independent Online)

I don't see anything inherently wrong with genetic manipulation. I see it as a naive and ultimately arrogant science that is either doomed to horrible failure or a very long and challenging road ahead of itself, if it is to succeed. I say this, realizing my own arrogance in asserting such a statement without much knowledge of the subject. To be honest, I feel like this kind of research is a waste of money and is just another march against disease in the name of science and human achievement. The article offers no real evidence for the idea that any genetic research will actually be a worthwhile and fulfilling scientific project. They also don't offer the idea or search for any other idea that doesn't require modern scientific science and pharmaceutical drugs. What about helping these extremely poor people get clean water? and help them to reduce the breeding of these insects in some simple, natural way?

We always have a choice... but our choices are limited if we choose to only see such a narrow range of options, solutions, and resources.

2.
This is the most accurate definition out of the entire list, in my opinion -

Biochemistry is the study of the fundamental mechanisms of life at the molecular level.

I feel this is so because it doesn't limit the definition of life by saying that it only has to do with 'living organisms' and it states that it's focus is on the molecular level.

3.
The Chemistry Animations site is very minimal and supplemental to the study of chemistry. I looked at the Benzine ring animation and found it to be very short, simple, and marginally helpful. Perhaps it would be more helpful to me if I could see how it interacts in various molecular combinations or if I could manipulate it.

The animations themselves are quite beautiful. It is a shame they don't go on forever.