Gene therapy involves introducing normal genes into cells to replace missing or defective genes and correct genetic disorders. It holds promise for treating many diseases like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS. Gene therapy works by replacing mutated genes, fixing mutated genes, or making diseased cells more detectable to the immune system. However, there are risks like unwanted immune reactions or causing tumors if genes are inserted in the wrong DNA location. Stomal therapy helps patients adjust to living with a stoma, which is a surgically created opening on the abdomen to divert bodily waste flows. Common types are colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies. Stomal therapists ensure healthy stoma features and proper stoma care like

1. GENE THERAPY AND
STOMAL THERAPY
RATHEESH R L

2. • The introduction of normal genes into cells in
place of missing or defective ones in order to
correct genetic disorders

3. • Gene therapy replaces a faulty gene or adds a
new gene in an attempt to cure disease or
improve your body's ability to fight disease.
• Gene therapy holds promise for treating a wide
range of diseases, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis,
heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia and AIDS.

4. • Gene therapy is used to correct defective genes
in order to cure a disease or help your body
better fight disease.

5. 1. Replacing mutated genes.
Some cells become diseased
because certain genes work incorrectly or no
longer work at all. Replacing the defective genes
may help treat certain diseases.

6. • For instance, a gene called p53 normally
prevents tumor growth. Several types of cancer
have been linked to problems with the p53
gene. If doctors could replace the defective
p53 gene, that might trigger the cancer cells to
die.

7. 2. Fixing mutated genes.
Mutated genes that cause disease
could be turned off so that they no longer
promote disease, or healthy genes that help
prevent disease could be turned on so that they
could inhibit the disease.

8. 3. Making diseased cells more evident to the
immune system.
In some cases, the immune system
doesn't attack diseased cells because it doesn't
recognize them as intruders.
Doctors could use gene therapy to train the
immune system to recognize the cells that are a
threat.

9. Risks
• Unwanted immune system reaction.
The body's immune system
may see the newly introduced viruses as
intruders and attack them. This may cause
inflammation and, in severe cases, organ failure

10. • Possibility of causing a tumor.
If the new genes get inserted in the
wrong spot in DNA, there is a chance that the
insertion might lead to tumor formation.

11. STOMAL THERAPY
• Stoma is a Greek word meaning 'mouth' or
'opening'.
• Stoma surgery results in a small opening on
the surface of the abdomen being surgically
created in order to divert the flow of contents.

12. • The stomal therapist is responsible for helping
patients adjust to living with either a
permanent or temporary stoma be it a
colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy.

13. TYPES
• Colostomy - opening from the large intestine
to the abdominal wall so faeces bypass the
anal canal.
• Ileostomy - opening from the small intestine
to the abdominal wall so faeces bypass the
large intestine and the anal canal.

14. • Urostomy - connection between the urinary
tract and abdominal wall leading to a 'urinary
conduit' so urine passes straight into a stoma
bag and thus bypasses the urethra.
• Gastrostomy and jejunostomy - openings
between the stomach and jejunum
respectively and the abdominal wall

15. Reasons for stomas
• Gastrointestinal stomas are used in various
disorders - eg, inflammatory bowel disease,
neoplasia and diverticular disease.
• Urostomies are more rare and are usually
used following invasive neoplasia of the
bladder or prostate.

16. Features of a healthy stoma
• Stoma should be above the skin level.
• Red and moist stoma (pallor may suggest
anaemia; dark hue may represent ischaemia).
• No separation between the mucocutaneous
edge and the skin.
• No evidence of erythema, rash, ulceration or
inflammation in the surrounding skin.

17. Stoma Care
• Using a bag or pouch with the correct size
opening, so waste does not leak
• Taking good care of the skin around your
stoma
• Wash your skin with warm water and dry it
well before you attach the pouch.
• Avoid skin care products that contain alcohol.
These can make your skin too dry.

18. • DO NOT use products that contain oil on the
skin around your stoma. Doing so can make it
hard to attach the pouch to your skin.
• Use fewer, special skin care products to make
skin problems less likely.