Why aren’t retrovirus enzymes (namely reverse transcriptase and integrase) being used to insert genes in our genome as a way to fight or cure certain diseases?

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Why aren’t retrovirus enzymes (namely reverse transcriptase and integrase) being used to insert genes in our genome as a way to fight or cure certain diseases?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

They are. That’s what genetic engineering is.

But engineering a living person’s genome is tricky. For one, it’s pretty much impossible to reverse, so you better be sure you get it right. And for two, depending on the disease, you may need to engineer the gene into *every* cell (or every cell of a certain type) in a living body, which is nearly impossible. Remember, our bodies are designed specifically to *prevent* this from happening.

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