STS Reviewer
STS Reviewer
STS Reviewer
Advantages
- Medicine: Enables targeted drug delivery, improved medical treatments, and
diagnostics at the cellular level.
- Materials: Enhances material properties, leading to stronger, lighter, and more
durable products.
- Energy: Enables more efficient energy production, storage, and conservation
through advanced materials and devices.
- Environment: Offers solutions for water purification, pollution control, and
efficient waste management.
Disadvantages:
- Health Risks: Concerns about potential toxicity of nanomaterials to human
health and the environment.
- Ethical Concerns: Ethical debates about privacy, misuse, and the societal
impacts of nanotechnology.
- Costs: High initial costs for research, development, and production of
nanotechnology-based products.
- Regulation: Lack of standardized regulations globally for safe use and disposal
of nanomaterials.
Gene Therapy:
Gene therapy involves introducing, altering, or replacing genes to treat or prevent
diseases.
It aims to correct genetic mutations by inserting functional genes into a patient's
cells.
Techniques include replacing mutated genes with healthy ones or modifying
genes' function within the body.
Cell Therapy:
Cell therapy uses living cells, often stem cells, to replace or repair damaged
tissues and treat diseases.
It includes various approaches such as stem cell transplants and CAR-T cell
therapy to bolster the immune system.
Roles of Viruses:
Viruses are often used as vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into target cells in
gene therapy.
They're modified to carry the corrected genetic material, enabling it to integrate
into the patient's DNA.
Gene therapy holds immense promise for treating a wide range of diseases,
potentially offering long-term or permanent solutions.
Advances in technology, better understanding of genetics, and improved delivery
systems could lead to more effective and safer treatments.
Ongoing research aims to expand its applications to more diseases and enhance
its accessibility and affordability for broader use.
NOTES IN STS
LESSON 12: CLIMATE CHANGE