Ex vivo and in vivo gene therapy are two approaches used to introduce genetic material into cells for therapeutic purposes, but they differ in how and where the genetic modification occurs:
- Ex vivo gene therapy:
- In ex vivo gene therapy, cells are first removed from the patient’s body.
- The genetic modification is then performed on these cells in a laboratory setting.
- Once the genetic modification is complete, the modified cells are reintroduced into the patient’s body.
- Examples of ex vivo gene therapy include modifying immune cells (such as T cells) to target cancer cells or correcting genetic defects in cells outside the body before re-implantation.
- In vivo gene therapy:
- In in vivo gene therapy, genetic material is directly introduced into the patient’s body.
- The genetic material can be delivered using various methods such as viral vectors, non-viral vectors, or nanoparticles.
- Once inside the body, the genetic material can target specific cells or tissues and induce genetic modifications.
- Examples of in vivo gene therapy include delivering genes to target tissues to treat genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis or delivering therapeutic genes to tumors to inhibit their growth.
In summary, ex vivo gene therapy involves modifying cells outside the body before reintroducing them, while in vivo gene therapy involves directly introducing genetic material into the patient’s body to achieve therapeutic effects.