Viral gene therapy uses viruses to deliver therapeutic genes to treat diseases. Viruses are effective at delivering genes to target cells. Viral gene therapy is being developed for inherited disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. It works by removing viral genes and replacing them with therapeutic genes. It has the potential to cure diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis. Commonly used viral vectors are retroviruses and adenoviruses. Risks include damaging healthy cells and causing cancerous mutations. Advantages are its ability to cure many diseases and provide cost-effective treatments like curing type 1 diabetes without immunosuppressant drugs. It contributes to science by furthering understanding of viruses and their ability to infect cells.

1. Viral Gene Therapy
Presented by Alex Bunk

2. What It Is
 Viral Gene therapy is the methodic use of viruses that
normally cause illness as vectors to transfer genes that will
produce desired effects in patients afflicted with certain
illnesses.

3. What It Is
There is a lack of an efficient non-toxic delivery system to provide the
successful application of gene therapy for treatment of a range of
diseases has been a major barrier to gene therapy.
Viruses have evolved to deliver their genes to target cells and are
considered to be the most effective means of gene delivery and have
an ability to be manipulated to express therapeutic genes or to replicate
specifically in certain cells. Gene therapy is being developed for a range
of diseases including inherited monogenic disorders and cardiovascular
disease, but it is in the treatment of cancer that this approach has been
most evident, resulting in the licensing of a gene therapy for the routine
treatment of head and neck cancer in China.

4. How It Works
 Viral gene therapy works by first removing the genes of a
viral vector then replacing it with genes that will produce the
desired effect.

5. What It Can Cure
 Viral gene therapy is capable of curing a multitude of
diseases, both genetic and acquired.
 Diseases that viral gene therapy can cure include:
 Cancer
 Type 1 diabetes
 Sever combined immune deficiency
 Chronic granulomatous disorder
 Hemophilia
 Various cancers
 Neurodegenerative diseases
 Cystic fibrosis

6. Viral Vectors Used
 The two most commonly used vectors in the process are:
 Retroviruses
 Adenoviruses
 Other less frequently used viruses are:
 Adeno-associated viruses
 Lentiviruses
 Pox viruses
 Alphaviruses
 Herpes viruses
 These viruses all differ in how well they are able to transfer
genes to the cells they recognize and are able to infect, and
whether they alter the cell’s DNA temporarily or permanently
 These viruses are displayed on the following slide.

8. Risks
 There are a number of risk factors involved in viral gene therapy.
 Such problems include:
 Destruction of healthy cells in cancer treatment
 Cancerous mutations due to injection at incorrect locations on DNA
 Changes can be passed on to children if the reproductive cells are
affected.
 In addition, interference from corporations that produce drugs
for people with chronic illnesses, such as Medtronics who
produce insulin pumps. Viral gene therapy is not supported by
the entities that fund research because it would be the cure to
the very diseases from which these corporations profit.

9. Advantages
 Viral gene therapy is capable of curing many diseases
 Providing a cost effective approach to curing Type I diabetes
with minimal complications in comparison to a pancreas
transplant. Using gene therapy abolishes the high risks of
taking immunosuppressant drugs and would be assessable
to a larger population pool. Currently, pancreas transplants
are only available to individuals who are also eligible for a
kidney transplant.
 Continuing to find cures for genetic diseases and possibly
eliminating their existence

10. How it Contributes to Science
 Viral gene therapy helps us better understand viruses
 It can help us understand how viruses can be killed as well
as how they infect certain cells
 If used in mass numbers, viral gene therapy has the potential
of removing genetic disorders from the gene pool entirely

11. Conclusion
 Viral gene therapy, though it has its flaws, it can indeed lead
to a better future for humanity
 To date, the therapeutic results of gene therapy have been
minimal. This approach holds much potential, however,
especially for treating single-gene disorders, and it is being
actively investigated.
 I hope to one day see viral gene therapy replacing insulin
pumps and pancreas transplants for type 1 diabetes.