Our species is no stranger to diseases. Since time immemorial, we have been fighting against all kinds of illness. But in most cases, we’ve only figured out ways to suppress the symptoms rather than getting to the root cause of a problem. This sort of tactic may solve an issue, but it will most probably only be a temporary fix. But on the other hand if we can tackle a disease at its most fundamental level, the fix could be a lot more reliable. So in recent times, after extensive research, scientists began modifying the biological code within the cells that are responsible for controlling several processes, both good and bad. This “biological code” we are referring to is of course our DNA.. This finding has consequently opened up many doors within the medical field.
Ever since mankind laid out the entire human genome, our understanding of it has steadily improved over the years. Moreover, with the technological boom in recent years, the pace of our advancement has increased even more. Nowadays, scientists are able to synthesize and custom design shorter sequences. This subsequently showed them that the best way to reach the DNA is with DNA itself.
Through this strategy, scientists have so far produced 14 DNA related drugs. These potent drugs have the capacity to replace badly working or damaged DNA strands or at the very least silence them. Moreover, recent studies have proved that such treatment methods can be even more effective if scientists make DNA spheres instead of making basic linear strands. Additionally, it has provided scientists with new knowledge and has made them aware of about 1000 genetic points that could lead to childhood diseases. To put this into perspective, prior to the discovery of this method, scientists were only aware of 60 influential genetic points.
Although, this new discovery is very promising, the delicate nature of it has also created some troubling issues. For example, Some gene tests can create false alarms as the presence of a disease associated gene in a child, does not necessarily mean the child will contract that disease. Another important factor to note, is the bias in collected data. Since most of it is based on white genes, the same data cannot be applied to other foreign genes with an assurance of positive results.
Scientists have only begun to understand the power of DNA in medicine. Quite clearly there are a lot of chinks in our armor of knowledge that needs to be ironed out. But with time and improvement in the diversity of collected data which geneticists have already begun, DNA modification will eventually powerful enough to solve the most difficult of medical issues. So, now is not the time to be alarmed about the possible ways that this could backfire. Progress is imminent; all we have to do is trust in our brightest minds and wait for the magic to happen!