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 is the introduction of genes into existing cells to prevent or cure a wide range of diseases. For example, suppose a brain tumor is forming by rapidly dividing cancer cells. The reason this tumor is forming is due to some defective or mutated gene.he first human to receive gene therapy treatment wa s a 4 year old girl with severe immune-deficiency disease. This disease is caused by a faulty gene that fails to produce a vital enzyme. In the therapy procedure, they extracted some of the girl's white blood cells.