What is gene therapy primarily used for?

Gene therapy is primarily used to replace defective genes with functional genes, which addresses the underlying causes of genetic disorders. This therapeutic approach aims to correct or compensate for dysfunctional genes that lead to disease, thus providing a potential cure or significant improvement in the health of individuals with genetic conditions. By introducing healthy copies of a gene into a patient’s cells, gene therapy can restore the normal function of that gene, potentially alleviating or reversing the effects of various genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and certain types of inherited blindness.

In contrast, the other options focus on different applications of biotechnology. Designing more resilient crops pertains to agricultural biotechnology, which involves genetic modifications aimed at enhancing crop endurance to environmental stressors. Improving the nutritional value of foods is also an aspect of agricultural biotechnology but focuses on increasing the health benefits of crops through genetic modifications. Lastly, expediting drug discovery processes involves using various biotechnological techniques in pharmaceutical development, which is a vastly different focus from gene therapy. These distinctions clarify why replacing defective genes with functional ones is the core use of gene therapy.