Question

An example of gene therapy is :

• A. Production of injectable hepatitis B vaccine
• B. Production of vaccines in food crops like potatoes which can be eaten
  
• C. Introduction of gene for adenosine deaminize in persons suffering from severe combined immune deficiency (SCID)
• D. Production of test tube babies by artificial insemination of unfertilized eggs.
  

Answer 1

The correct option is C Introduction of gene for adenosine deaminize in persons suffering from severe combined immune deficiency (SCID)

The first clinical gene therapy was given in 1990 to a 4-year old girl with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. This enzyme is crucial for the immune system to function. The disorder is caused due to the deletion of the gene for adenosine deaminase.

Gene therapy is the process of introduction of DNA into living human beings in order to treat disease. It is used to replace a missing gene product or to correct mutant alleles.

For example, human gene therapy trial can be used for ex vivo introduction of functional ADA gene in bone marrow cells of the patient, suffering from SCID, through an engineered retrovirus containing a functional ADA gene.

The treated cells were reintroduced into the patient’s marrow. Manual mixing of sperms and egg followed by implantation of fertilised egg in the uterus of the surrogate mother is called in vitro fertilisation.

Gene manipulation refers to any techniques that create recombinant DNA which carries DNA from two different sources. Vaccines are produced by gene manipulation techniques.

Thus, the correct answer is option C.