Sir Kluge of the Cambridge Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the United Kingdom has recently invented a new technology that can control the turning on or off of gene functions. The technology is expected to make significant progress in the treatment of diseases such as AIDS, heart disease and diabetes.
According to reports, new technologies rely on proteins called transcription factors to enhance or slow gene activity. Kluge discovered a protein in 1985 that could achieve these functions and named it zinc finger protein. A zinc finger protein that is effective for a particular gene carries a nuclease that can be attached to the gene and can turn the gene on or off.
This technology can shut down some genes that can worsen heart disease or cancer, and it can also activate genes that protect nerves from damage or promote blood vessel growth.
For the treatment of AIDS, the technology is to transform T cells in the patient's immune system so that it can be protected from HIV infection. (Xinhua)