In the point of fact, it has been reported that the use of biotechnological techniques, methodologies and therapies have considerably opened new vistas for the treatment of some incurable diseases. This has been possible because unlike the conventional medical and therapeutic techniques, biotechnological studies actually focus on probing the physiological malfunctioning and then treating it well according to the natural physiology of the human machinery. It goes without saying that dealing with biotechnological tools actually means dealing with the genes and genetic material of any particular organisms. But it does not mean that biotechnological tools can only be used for curing those diseases which are relating to the genes and genetic material or in other words, it is not limited to studying and curing only the inherited diseases which are transferred to parents to offspring or are caused due to some sort of accidental mutation process (mutations actually refers to the change in genetic material of an organism due to varying factors). This is how biotechnological studies have been marvelous in devising treatments for a large number of serious or possibly incurable diseases. One of these very serious diseases which have been effectively and productively addressed by biotechnological studies is that of Cancer. Regardless of the geographical boundaries and economic conditions of a particular part of the world, this disease has proved out to be a menace for the human population living around the world. The seriousness of this diseases can be estimated from the fact that according a report presented by WHO (World Health Organization) the deaths caused due to cancer around the world possibly exceed 15 million in number (per year). This in other words may lead us to conclude that more than 10% of all deaths are caused by this devastatingly serious disease.
As a matter of fact, cancerous diseases are caused due to change in the genetic material within the cell. Biotechnologists have first employed various methodologies to study the interaction of various chemicals with the cells and the resulting mutations. Having a complete knowledge and information on human genome, scientists have been able to spot around 3000 mutations which can ultimately lead to the cancerous situations. Through a very well defined process known as cell signaling, biotechnologists study the comparative behavior of mutated cells and normal cells towards the various chemicals and study the basic difference in the various metabolic pathways of both the cells. Through studies, it has been revealed that the major issue with the cancerous or mutated cells lies with the transcription process, which means the process by which RNA takes instructions from DNA to constitute a product. Thus scientists have proposed to use this cell signaling technique to monitor any possible outbreak of cancerous situations as they are well able to monitor the cell activities through this technique.
Scientists largely believe that there are always some particular genes in a cell which trigger the cancerous behavior in the cell through a phenomenon called as gene expression. Gene expression refers to the activities of a gene or group of genes which ultimately generate a signal or command. Thus, scientists largely believe that by identifying that possibly vulnerable genes, we can block the signaling of those genes and thus can e assured that no such signal or activity is allowed which may lead to the cancerous situations. Through gene expressions, scientists believe to have some very promising results.
Having discussed about the DNA, another aspect of controlling cancerous cases is to stop the instructions carried by the RNA from the DNA genes.
Therefore, it can be fairly and confidently stated that the biotechnological techniques have actually made it possible for the human race tot take assign of relief as far as dealing with this devastatingly serious disease is concerned. Today, people around the world feel themselves more protected from this disease. Although the biotechnological treatments employed for treating this particular diseases are not freely and easily available and accessible around the world, however, keeping in view the promising nature of these biotechnological methodologies and techniques, it can be hoped that very soon, these curing practice emerging from biotechnological pool of therapies will be easily and affordable available to all human beings around the world in all countries.
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