inâ¢iâ¢tial. 1. of, pertaining to, or occurring at the beginning; first: the initial step in a process. 2. an initial letter, as of a word. 3. the first letter of a proper name. 4. a large, often ornamental letter used at the beginning of a chapter or other division of a book or manuscript. 5. to mark or sign with an initial or the initials of one's name, esp. as a token of approval. initiÄlis, derivative of initi(um) beginning, derivative of inÄ«re to enter, begin = in-in- 2 + Ä«re to go]. inâ¢iâ²tialâ¢er, n.
Why Gene Therapy Is Important. Genes that are flawed and do not work properly can cause disease. Gene therapy is a technique for correcting defective genes responsible for disease development. Researchers may use one of several approaches for correcting faulty genes: 1  A normal gene may be inserted into a nonspecific location within the genome to replace a nonfunctional gene. This approach is most common. 2  An abnormal gene could be swapped for a normal gene through homologous recombination. The abnormal gene could be repaired through selective reverse mutation, which returns the gene to its normal function. The regulation (the degree to which a gene is turned on or off) of a particular gene could be altered.
Gene Therapy. Gene therapy is a rapidly evolving form of molecular medicine with the potential to provide new treatments for inherited and acquired life-threatening rare diseases. When a gene is damaged, the blueprint for the construction of the protein it codes for is flawed, resulting in an abnormal protein and a genetic disease. The goal of gene therapy is to cure or slowdown a genetic disease by repairing the damaged gene responsible for the disease.