Somatic gene therapy is currently used in clinical trials and treatments for various genetic disorders. Which of the following is not a valid scientific or ethical concern specifically associated with somatic gene therapy?
The therapeutic gene may integrate into the host cell's genome at a site that disrupts an active tumor suppressor gene, potentially triggering oncogenesis.
The viral vector used to deliver the functional allele may elicit an inflammatory immune response, leading to toxicity or the clearance of the transgenic cells.
The therapeutic genetic material can be inherited by the patient's offspring, creating permanent and irreversible alterations to the human gene pool.
The clinical benefits are often short-lived because the targeted somatic cells have a finite lifespan and do not pass the transgene to newly differentiated replacement cells.
14 exam-style questions on OCR A A Level Biology Manipulating genomes. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.