Can science improve humans? Gene Therapy Gene therapy is a method used by doctors that "uses genes as medicine." It repairs defective or damaged genetic copies by transferring a therapeutic or functional gene into specific parts of the defective genetic copy. This means that gene therapy can be used to replace a faulty gene or to introduce a new gene whose function is to change the clinical course of a condition or cure a problem in the gene (refer to image 2). Image 1 shows how gene therapy is completed using an adenovirus vector while Image 2 explains the gene therapy method and shows how cells are removed, altered and reinjected into the patient. Gene therapy has the potential to treat and cure many medical conditions such as various types of cancer, degenerative diseases, and viral infections such as AIDS. Gene therapy research still needs to be conducted before this approach to treating certain conditions realizes its full potential. Trials are underway in the United States and Europe, and a modest number have started in other countries, including Australia. Most of these studies focus on the treatment of acquired conditions such as cancer (European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, 2011). A genome is the set of all the genetic material of an organism. They are the complete hereditary instructions for building, running, and maintaining an organism, and also for transferring DNA to offspring (refer to image 3). The genome in most organisms is made up of a chemical called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Genes are a set of instructions that determine what the organism is like in its environment. Genes are found in the genome. The genome is made up of three components; the chromosomes, which contain the genes, which are m... middle of paper... the little things that are wrong with them; try to become super human. In future times, gene therapy will become more popular, and companies will compete with each other to develop cheaper, more reliable, and more efficient gene therapy technologies. Future technology that performs gene therapy treatment will most likely gradually become cheaper over time, so that the average middle class person can afford gene therapy. Insurance companies may also begin to allow their services to cover the costs of gene therapy (Issues and Impacts, 2014). In summary, gene therapy clearly has benefits if it successfully treats diseases and allows people to lead normal, productive lives. There are still some problems associated with gene therapy, but hopefully research can overcome these problems and make gene therapy more reliable and affordable.