Question: what concerns would you have about this approach: what problems would you expect the technology to address? o some concerns include: to target the right location within the genome, to ensure the recipient cell lives long enough or its progeny survive, to be able to prevent an immune response to vector, to be able to prevent targeting of the wrong tissue, to be able to prevent the virus from reproducing ( no shedding virus ), and whether it will have the capacity to kill cells with the transgene (suicide systems). The same bioluminescence pathway exists in other animals, like coelenterates. o researchers have cloned this gene and used it to follow the control genes of interest. o it is also used as an ultrasensitive assay for atp. o tumour cells can be made with luciferase and injected into an animal ( xenografts). o the ability to produce light allows researchers to follow the growth of tumours noninvasively and continuously.
