Question

A young boy suffers from Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a genetic nervous system disorder that causes tumors to grow around nerve cells. The gene for NF1, approximately 8,400 base pairs long, is located on chromosome 11. What is the best candidate for a vector for gene therapy in this case? Provide evidence from your research to support your choice.

Answer 1

Based on the mentioned situation and the involvement of chromosome 11, Nerve cell is the type of cell that is the target of the vector because the nerve cells do not divide. From the given information, we can derive that length of gene that is carried by vector is about 8400 base pairs. By all this evidence we conclude that Herpes Simplex Virus can be corresponding vector.