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Gene Therapy is a very risky, but beneficial treatment. If the procedure would work properly then it can cure cancer or diabetes. Unfortunately, this wonderful procedure may be very dangerous to one’s health and instead of curing a disease it may greaten the symptoms of a patient or possibly be fatal.

Dan Janssen, diabetic who has type one diabetes agrees with this medical procedure. He Says “It’s great! I am all, for any medical progress.”add a little background

There are different processes for gene therapy, since there are different types of the therapy. Currently, scientists are studying three different ways to cure or fix the broken gene causing the disorder. Once way is to replace the gene that is causing the disease. This would allow the mutated gene to be taken out, and the new working gene to take its place. In some cases you wouldn’t need to replace the gene. This would be way two, when the doctors would just “inactivate” the mutated gene. Therefore, clearing the body of the dysfunctional gene(s). Thirdly, the doctors would show the body a new gene. They wouldn’t need to take out or replace any genes during this treatment, they would simply add a new gene to the body, which would help fight against the disease. All three procedures for gene therapy are still under experimentation, but all seem to have bright outlooks. These procedures are much like stem cell research, which have also stormed the United States with striking controversy. Many people like gene therapy because it is new and they do not know all the information yet. Others like it because they realize that if this therapy becomes available to the public, they could be cured from their diabetes or even cancer.

Unfortunately, the risks may outshine the benefits with gene therapy seeing that when putting a gene, or replacing a gene in the body scientists need to use other viruses to place it. That means that this viruses may form another virus in the body. Sorry to say the second possible outcome for gene therapy is fatal. This proves the dangers of gene therapy. Nevertheless, each year the Human Genome Program gives over two hundred million dollars to scientists in the United States researching this therapy, because of the potential, and astonishing outcomes. If they keep providing this money each year, thus giving the scientists more time and equipment to use, the hazardous outcomes of gene therapy may become less likely, allowing them to make the therapy open to the public.

Dan Janssen believes that this therapy is a good thing, but he says he would not do it. “I think there are more progressive therapies around the corner,” he says proudly. Then adding “And it’s a manageable disease if it isn’t manageable then I would take it.” He proves a good point in that statement, diabetes is a very manageable disease; different drugs and insulin have been created for those with the disease allowing them to lead normal lives, not having to worry about their sickness every minute.

Before the scientists really progress any father they should think about the costs of the therapy once it would be open to the public. Would the cost be too high for those who have little money? If diabetes is really as manageable as Dan thinks it is, then how many others agree with him? And more importantly how many others wouldn’t take the Treatment? Scientists should look towards different diseases, like cancer, that are found to be less manageable and focus on fixing them. Once, the diseases that can’t be managed are healed, and then they should work more on gene therapy, because currently, the risks are way too high for diabetics.