Gene therapy: The breakthrough that inspired Spider-Man | Euronews Tech Talks

Although an inspiration for science fiction movies, gene therapy is real. Here is how it works and what could be improved about it.

If you are a science nerd and a Marvel fan, you might have noticed that gene therapy, a promising medical approach to treat diseases by targeting their genetic causes, made an appearance in the latest iteration of the arachnid superhero franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

In this film, Peter Parker or Spider-Man feels weird. His DNA mutates, and his spider side starts taking over, providing him with new and sometimes difficult-to-control powers.

To manage them, Parker resorts to RNA interference, a real-world gene therapy technique that silences specific gene activity.

But how does gene therapy work? And what are its limitations?

To answer these and more questions, Euronews Tech Talks interviewed Alberto Auricchio, director of the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine in Naples, professor at the University of Naples and president of the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy.

Originally used to treat monogenic diseases, gene therapy is now employed and studied to find a treatment for a wide range of illnesses, including cancer and HIV.

“Gene therapy basically targets the root cause of a genetic disease,” Auricchio explained. This medical approach essentially consists in the introduction of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) into target cells and tissues for therapeutic purposes.

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