Question

What is gene therapy? Give an example.
Write a note on biopiracy with reference to basmati rice.

Answer 1

Depending on the type of cell being treated, there are two types of gene therapy:
Transfer of a portion of DNA to any cell of the body that does not produce sperm or eggs is known as somatic gene therapy. Transfer of a piece of DNA to cells that generate eggs or sperm is known as germline gene therapy. Gene therapy has the ability to change cells both within and outside the body. A doctor will inject the vector containing the gene directly into the region of the body that contains faulty cells when it's done inside the body.

Complete answer:
Part a): Gene therapy is a technique for treating genetic problems that includes replacing faulty genes with healthy ones. It is a way of introducing DNA into human cells that is done artificially. In $1989$, the first successful gene therapy procedure was completed.
A normal gene is injected into the cell with the defective gene, which aids in the cell's normal functioning. This technique is primarily used to combat diseases in the human body as well as to treat genetic disorders. The damaged proteins in the cell are replaced by inserting DNA into the cell. In general, diseases are caused by a cell's improper protein production.
For e.g., Cancer cells, for example, have flawed cells that differ from normal cells and include defective proteins. As a result, unless these proteins are replaced, this condition will be fatal.
Part b): Biopiracy is defined as the commercial use of naturally occurring biochemical or genetic material without proper authorization. Basmati rice is an Indian native crop; however, it was patented by Rice Tech Inc in the United States in $1997$. This is a case of biopiracy in action.

Note:
Application of Gene Therapy:
It is used to replace genes that are linked to medical problems.
In most cases, the procedure eliminates the genes that cause the disease.
It aids the body's ability to fight disease by introducing genes into the human body
Cancer, ADA deficiency, cystic fibrosis, and other disorders are treated using this strategy.