how are viruses use in gene therapy?

Question

how are viruses use in gene therapy?

Answer 1

Not only retroviruses, but any virus with the ability to insert its own DNA into a cell's genome, may potentially be used. Examples being used currently are retroviruses, adenovirus, and lentivirus. The point of this is that you can insert genes that patient may otherwise be missing, and they can produce proteins and enzymes that they were not able to before.

An actual example is research in severe combined immune deficiency syndrome (SCIDS), in which the principal disorder is that the patient is missing the blood enzyme adenosine deaminase. They have actually successfully replaced the gene responsible for producing adenosine deaminase (through viral gene therapy), and thus corrected the immune disorder, which was previously untreatable and terminal before this breakthrough.

Answer 2

the virus ( a retrovirus) has the ability to insert its own DNA into a cell and use it to Produce copies of the Virus. In Gene Therapy they cut out the nasty bit of the virus and replace with a healthy gene or part of a healthy gene. the virus then introduces this into cells so they can make the healthy protein which the gene encodes for.