After reading another article regarding the results of a gene therapy clinical trial, it is abundantly clear that this type of research needs to continue. There is a lot we have to learn and in the case of Layla who was unresponsive to other treatments, we should quickly try to make therapies like these open to everyone as soon as possible. Listen to my podcast to learn about the new therapy that helped a baby girl named Layla.

https://soundcloud.com/user-578021309/audio-recording-on-Friday

References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/business/a-novel-cell-therapy-untested-in-humans-saves-baby-with-cancer.html?_r=0

Chapter 8: Final Thoughts

After spending the past few weeks doing research on genetic engineering and gene therapies it is very clear there is a lot more research to be done to test the efficacy as well as the possibilities for treatment of patients. These therapies would be extremely beneficial and if created correctly, are thought to permanently cure those with certain congenital diseases. There is some debate however, about whether or not the therapies would be considered ethical due to their nature. Some research has shown promising treatments that have used stem cells to help regenerate cells while the more accepting therapies use viruses as vectors. 

I have a very great feeling that this technology will become very prominent in the healthcare field and how we go about treatment. Ever since President Obama’s speech on the Precision Medicine Initiative, a lot of focus has been on how we can individualize treatment to our genomes. As we become more familiar with genes and which sequences are responsible for diseases and disorders, we will better be able to determine which method of therapies and engineering are best. Initially these therapies will be very expensive, but it is abundantly clear that overtime there will be a price decrease, mainly due to the fact that a lot of pharmaceutical companies are hopping on board with clinical trials and research. Individualized healthcare I feel is long overdue and gene therapy can potentially be a great part of this. 

 President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative speech

References: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKiw7yAqqsU