Ebook: An Introduction to Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy

Gene therapy, or the use of genetic manipulation for disease treatment, is derived from advances in genetics, molecular biology, clinical medicine, and human genomics. Molecular medicine, the application of molecular biological techniques to disease treatment and diagnosis, is derived from the development of human organ transplantation, pharmacotherapy, and elucidation of the human genome. An Introduction to Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy provides a basis for interpreting new clinical and basic research findings in the areas of cloning, gene transfer, and targeting; the applications of genetic medicine to clinical conditions; ethics and governmental regulations; and the burgeoning fields of genomics, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. By dividing the material into three sections - an introduction to basic science, a review of clinical applications, and a discussion of the evolving issues related to gene therapy and molecular medicine-this comprehensive manual describes the basic approaches to the broad range of actual and potential genetic-based therapies.