Visual language reaches the public more directly, among other reasons, because video has the strengths of other communication codes.
For this reason, more and more companies are investing in this audiovisual material, due to the benefits, it brings to the brand image.
Another of the most frequent reasons is that this format allows a complex scientific process to be explained in a much more concise way, such as gene editing.
Decades ago it would sound futuristic to be able to cure a disease just by being infected by a virus. Nevertheless, the current advances in biotechnology and molecular biology have allowed reaching that chimera.
Gene therapy consists of the transfer of genetic material to a patient to treat or prevent a specific genetic-based disease. Its main advantage is that its effects are long-lasting without the need for repeated interventions.
How many approaches are there in gene therapy?
There are three approaches the gene therapy:
- Gene replacement: a mutated gene is replaced by a healthy copy of the gene.
- Gene silencing: knock-out or inactivation of a mutated gene.
- Gene insertion: introduction of a new gene into the cells to fight against the disease.
Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this kind of therapy on the treatment or prevention of diseases as neurological diseases, cardiac disorders, hemophilia, or even cancer.
Steps of gene therapy
Steps of gene therapy and how 3D animation videos can help to visualize and understand these complex concepts attractively.
Cloning
Closing the first step of gene therapy is designing the piece of genetic material (DNA) that will be introduced into the patient to treat the disease. The therapeutic gene is synthesized in the laboratory by PCR and then cloned into a plasmid.
Selection of the vector
The next step is the selection of the vector that will act as a vehicle to introduce the genetic material into the patient’s body.
The most common, efficient, and safer vectors used in gene therapy are viral vectors as adenovirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), retroviral and lentiviral vectors.
Once the vector is selected, the plasmid is introduced into the virus where, by genetic recombination, the therapeutic piece of DNA is included in the viral genetic material.
Introduction into the body
The final step is to infect the patient’s cells with the selected viral vector that carries the therapeutic gene. This process can be done in two ways:
- Directly by infecting the patient with the therapeutic virus by an intravenous infusion.
- Extracting target cells from the patient and infecting them in the lab. Then, the infected cells are cultured and transferred back to the patient by an intravenous infusion.
In this 3D animation video, we see how a viral vector infects and releases its genetic material inside the cell. Thus, the therapeutic material gets inside the nucleus to solve the genetic alteration and, therefore, treat the disorder.
How can 3DforScience help you to visualize complex processes as gene therapy?
3DforScience is a scientific communication company specialized in visual content for the life science sector. We are a passionate creative team of scientists, marketers, artists and animators with a shared aim: help you improve your scientific communication with innovative and unique creative solutions.
We can help to boost your scientific communication capabilities within the biotechnological/ molecular biology fields by designing unique creative solutions as 3D animation videos or illustrations.
Would you like to bring your scientific messaging to life? Contact us. We would be pleased to provide you with a unique creation.
