When Viruses Switch Teams #engineering.
Bioengineering viruses to perform specific tasks is an innovative field that leverages the natural properties of viruses for beneficial applications in medicine, biotechnology, and beyond. This process involves modifying viral genomes to enhance or alter their functionality, making them useful tools for various purposes. Here’s a detailed description of how we are bioengineering viruses to get them to do things for us:
Medical Applications
Gene Therapy: One of the most promising applications of bioengineered viruses is in gene therapy. Scientists modify viruses to carry therapeutic genes and deliver them to specific cells in the body. For example, adenoviruses and lentiviruses can be engineered to treat genetic disorders by replacing defective genes with functional ones, potentially curing diseases like cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.
Cancer Treatment: Bioengineered viruses, known as oncolytic viruses, are designed to selectively infect and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. These viruses can also stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack tumors. Modified herpes simplex virus and adenovirus are examples currently being explored in cancer therapy.
Vaccines: Viruses are bioengineered to develop vaccines by using viral vectors to present antigens from a pathogen to the immune system without causing disease. This approach has been used in the development of vaccines for diseases like Ebola and COVID-19, where viral vectors like adenoviruses deliver genetic material that triggers an immune response.
#cancer #virus
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