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When placed in or near a body tissue, the films are designed to degrade and release the DNA. Large strands of DNA cannot normally penetrate cells, so Lynn constructs his films with special polymers designed to bundle the genes into small tight packages that cells can import. Once inside, the genes instruct the cells to make proteins
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| When placed in or near a body tissue, the films are designed to degrade and release the DNA. Large strands of DNA cannot normally penetrate cells, so Lynn constructs his films with special polymers designed to bundle the genes into small tight packages that cells can import. Once inside, the genes instruct the cells to make proteins |
Because the polymers carry a positive electric charge that is attractive to DNA, each polymer layer also "primes" the surface to accept the next layer of DNA. While electrostatic forces between the layers keep the film stable in dry, room-temperature conditions, the polymers break down easily in a wet biological environment - like the inside of a patient"s body.
Fascinating work. Maybe this method could be improved by using thin polymer strands containing DNA cores instead of films. They would then be thin enough to be inhaled, allowing the polymer to break down inside the moist environment of the lungs.
In fact, why not just optimize the procedure so that commercial and military planes can be outfitted with tanks of polymer and biogenetic solutions, which can be recombined inside special spray nozzles and dusted onto dense population areas below? The polymers would be electrified to help them spread out and achieve even coverage, and perhaps the polymers shield their DNA payload from ultraviolet solar radiation. It would take just a few hours to reach ground level and be inhaled.
This way we could have gene therapy on a mass scale -- after all, we fluoridate our public water supply, why not do a further public service by giving the public free gene therapy from the skies?
It could, for instance, be used to reduce public obesity by turning off certain genes, or even help stabilize society by turning off genetic predisposition toward dissent against authority. Science is truly wonderful!
This kind of therapy is very job specific. You cannot just drop it from the skies as you could end up with tissue growing over people's eyes, or inside people's lungs, blocking the lung's walls so people cannot breathe. But it is a good invention which will help deliver therapy where needed.