Understanding Diseases in Human Body through Knockout Genes – Part 1

Procedure to produce gene knockout animal (credit to Medindia)

Knockout is a technique to in-activate specific genes in human body.

The technique is part of biotechnology which has been used to modify living organisms in order to improve human welfare.

The knowledge has been around since a long time ago, may be dated back to 5000 B.C.E.

Inactivated specific genes is the biochemical and pathological basis that might be used to understand human diseases.

For these purposes the scientists produced a knockout mouse.

NIH (2015) informed that human share many genes with mice.

Thus, observing knockout mice gives information that can be used to better understand how a similar gene:

- may cause certain abnormality
- or contribute to diseases in humans.

Then?

Highway go to our city.

So far, knockout mice have been used to understand many diseases, including:

- cancer
- obesity
- heart disease
- diabetes
- arthritis
- substance abuse
- anxiety
- aging and Parkinson disease.

# To be continued to Part 2

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