Genetic modification is the process of altering the properties of cells in an organism by changing the genetic makeup of the DNA

in the nucleus of the cell. This can include deleting or changing genes, or transferring genes from one organism to another. When an organism has had these changes made to it, it will become a genetically modified organism.

Se eral techni!ues are used to make these changes. The one most rele ant to medical applications is recombinant DNA technology. Special en"ymes break the gene se!uence out of the DNA strand and it is transported into plasmids which are small molecules in bacterial cells. #ecause the plasmids ha e the ability to mo e between cells and take their DNA with them, the wanted gene can then be transferred into other cells, usually bacterial cells, and the bacterial cells are now genetically modified.

The first use of genetically modified organisms in medicine was to use the bacteria as factories for the introduced genes. #y fermentation techni!ues the bacteria could be multiplied many times o er and the multiplication of the introduced genes would also multiply the protein or hormone that the gene would normally produce. This is the techni!ue that allowed the mass production of products like recombinant human insulin for treatment of diabetics.

$ther medical uses of this technology ha e been to genetically modify animals so that they e%press certain en"ymes or proteins in their milk. This has been done to obtain medicine for human use, from rabbits, cows and other animals. When this occurs the animal becomes a genetically modified organism, but the medicine that is obtained, while the product of a genetic modification process, is not itself a G&$. 't is a recombinant product but retains the characteristics of the original en"yme or protein.

The ne%t step in the chain of possible applications of G&$ technology is where a particular gene is used as a medicine in a person who has a disease or disability. This is gene therapy. The introduced gene will e%press the en"yme or protein that is absent or deficient, and in this way the person will be treated. As a result of this application of gene therapy, the person will, technically, be a genetically modified organism, as the introduced gene will ha e altered their genetic properties, but only in relation to the disease or disability they ha e.

The Australian (ommonwealth Scientific and 'ndustrial )esearch $rganisation *(S')$+ pro ides a clear and short summary on genetic modification including a useful diagram and useful links to furt