Question

Malaria is a disease caused by parasites that reproduce within red blood cells. Malaria can cause fever, chills, nausea, flu-like symptoms, and in some cases, coma and death. This disease is prevalent in warm climates, especially South America, Africa, and the southern portions of Asia. Sickle-cell anemia is a genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to change shape when they are deoxygenated. The resultant sickle-shaped blood cells can get stuck in blood vessels and cause damage and pain. This disease is also prevalent in South America, Africa, and Asia. Lately, it was discovered that people who carry the sickle-cell trait heterozygously are resistant to malaria. How could biotechnology best use this infomation to help people living in these areas?

Answer 1

Biotechnology could be used to insert the malaria resistant genes without causing sickle cell anemia.

Answer 2

Biotechnological techniques can be used to insert functional sequences (i.e., malaria-resistant genes)

Step-by-step explanation:

Gene insertion refers to the biotechnology techniques used to insert genes into a DNA sequence, which can be made by using appropriate genetic vectors (e.g., plasmid DNA sequences). In the last years, biotechnological advancements associated with genome editing have made notable progresses, especially since the emergence of the CRISPR-Cas technology. This CRISPR-Cas technology is an RNA-programable, precise and easy-to-use genome-editing system that can be used to restore and/or insert functional genes. In the near future, it is expected that the CRISPR-Cas genome editing system can be used in vivo to develop treatments aimed at inserting functional sequences into desired genomic sites.