ABSTRACT
If the genome is the blueprint of life, then genes and the proteins that they encode are the basic physical and functional units translated from this blueprint. Genes are specific sequences of bases that encode instructions on how to make proteins. When genes or their expression are altered so that the encoded proteins are unable to carry out their normal functions, pathophysiological disorders can arise. Gene therapy is a technique to correct the abnormal expression of genes responsible for disease development and represents the next potential era of advancement in medicine for the prevention of the effects of aging or for treatment of genetic or acquired disease. The concept of gene therapy is that the intermittent or single addition of a selective gene causes the body to manufacture natural proteins using a participant’s own cells as minibioreactors. These naturally produced proteins can correct the abnormalities of cellular function and thereby can correct abnormal physiologic function.
