Genes and Gene Therapy Summary Genes are the building blocks of inheritance. Passed from parent to child, they contain instructions for making proteins. If genes don’t produce the right proteins or don’t produce them correctly, a child can have a genetic disorder. Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. The most common form of gene therapy involves inserting a normal gene to replace an abnormal gene. Other approaches include Swapping an abnormal gene for a normal one Repairing an abnormal gene Altering the degree to which a gene is turned on or off Although there is much hope for gene therapy, it is still experimental. Genetics Home Reference National Human Genome Research Institute Children All about Genetics (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Gene Therapy and Children (For Parents) Nemours Foundation What Is a Gene? Nemours Foundation Statistics and Research All about the Human Genome Project (HGP) National Human Genome Research Institute Genetics by the Numbers National Institute of General Medical Sciences RNA Interference National Institute of General Medical Sciences Teenagers Basics on Genes and Genetic Disorders Nemours Foundation Related Issues Biological Therapies for Cancer National Cancer Institute Brief Guide to Genomics: DNA, Genes and Genomes National Human Genome Research Institute Epigenomics National Human Genome Research Institute Frequently Asked Questions about Pharmacogenomics National Human Genome Research Institute Genetics Home Reference National Library of Medicine Genetics, Disease Prevention and Treatment National Human Genome Research Institute Matching Genes and Vitamins: A Personalized Plan May Be in Your Future National Institutes of Health Personalized Medicine and Pharmacogenomics Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Studying Genes National Institute of General Medical Sciences What Advances Are Being Made in DNA Sequencing? National Library of Medicine What Is Genetic Ancestry Testing? National Library of Medicine What Is the Epigenome? National Library of Medicine What Role Do Epigenetics and Developmental Epigenetics Play in Health and Disease? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Gene Therapy National Institutes of Health NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Cracking the Genetic Code GeneEd — A Genetics Educational Resource Genetics 101 –The Hereditary Material of Life Understanding the Human Genome Project — A Fact Sheet Using the Genetics Home Reference Website Start Here Frequently Asked Questions about Genetic and Genomic Science National Human Genome Research Institute Gene Therapy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research New Genetics National Institute of General Medical Sciences Six Things Everyone Should Know About Genetics American Society of Human Genetics Specifics Gene Therapy for Diseases and Genetic Disorders American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Personalized Medicine: Matching Treatments to Your Genes National Institutes of Health Encyclopedia Genes Genetics Reference Desk Genomics and Health Impact Update Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms National Human Genome Research Institute Games Michael’s Inside Scoop: Genetics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Find an Expert National Human Genome Research Institute National Human Genome Research Institute Journal Articles Gene mapping Gene therapy Latest News Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise Against Heart Failure HealthDay Breast Cancer Gene Might Lower Women’s Fertility HealthDay Gene Therapy May Offer Hope for ‘Bubble Boy’ Disease HealthDay Do Genes That Protect Against Dementia Guard Against Chronic Diseases? HealthDay DNA May Affect What Bugs Reside in Your Gut HealthDay Pointy Nose, Snub Nose? These Genes May Decide HealthDay Healthy Living May Offset Genetic Breast Cancer Risk HealthDay Predicting Longevity May Be Simpler Than Thought HealthDay Gene May Explain Higher Rates of Some Cancers in Black People HealthDay Loss of Y Chromosome in Men Tied to Alzheimer’s Risk HealthDay Xalkori Approved for Rare Genetic Form of Lung Cancer HealthDay ‘Sunscreen’ Gene May Guard Against Skin Cancer HealthDay Blacks More Likely to Have Kidney Failure Than Whites HealthDay ‘Precision’ Cancer Treatment May Extend Lives HealthDay