Immunotherapy is a method of treating disease that makes use of a person’s own immune system. It is a very powerful technique in which there have been many recent advancements. The technique is different from others, in that it uses already existing aspects of our immune system to fight disease. One area where it is especially prominent is in cancer treatment. We discussed car T-cell therapy, which is being used to genetically engineer T-cells and fight cancer cells.
The potential of immunotherapy is limitless, and its is a very exciting new field! As Shiv explained, this is a relatively new technique in science and no one knows all that it could do. His enthusiasm inspired me to consider the importance of science and exploration. New techniques are being developed every day, and the field of biology and biomedical engineering allows us to harness the knowledge we have and make improvements that can save lives and improve the way people live. It is truly amazing!!
While many people have lashed at genetic engineering out of fears that scientists are “playing god”, the incredibly promising car T-cell therapy shows that genetic engineering is harnessed out of the best interests of our health. Perhaps it is time to consolidate some accomplishments of genetic engineering to quell some myths, as well as celebrate the achievements of science.
Although I do agree that science advancement most especially with genetic engineering deserves respect and celebration I do believe that there are lines that are going to be crossed in the future with this science. I don’t think we should question peoples efforts to cure awful diseases but I do think we need to be preparing to have conversations on how far we should go with genetic engineering because I do see limits that I don’t believe should be crossed.