The Pros And Cons Of Telomerase Gene Therapy

The twenty-first century marks a period of revolutionary breakthroughs in regenerative medicine that house the potential to dramatically extend the human lifespan. At the frontiers of this medical research is a novel treatment known as telomerase gene therapy, which aims to target the molecular mechanisms responsible for human aging, through a gene-editing approach. Consequently, this treatment has the potential to not only retard the aging process in humans, but to also treat various age-associated diseases, including cancer, dementia, and hypertension (Boccardi et al.). While this treatment does face various ethical dilemmas that may hinder its implementation into clinical practice, recent ethics evaluations have shown more favor toward this treatment, and further support the progression of its research.

Therefore, in order to determine the next steps in implementing this therapy in the developed world, its costs and returns must be carefully evaluated. Through the critical evaluation of this therapy in terms of its future projections, in context of its scientific, ethical, and economic implications, it is our proposition to further fund this line of biomedical research, as well as to reallocate funds from other lines of research to this treatment. It is also proposed that corporations in support of different interests invest into this therapy, in order to ensure its ethical research and development. This would accelerate the widespread implementation of telomerase gene therapy, and ultimately provide a stepping stone towards a healthy and economically-prosperous