MadSci Network: Genetics |
In theory, yes, this could be done. There are a series of green fluorescent proteins (GFP), that are often used in gene expression cassettes in science to mark where new genes are expressed. The original GFP was isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, and this small protein fluoresces when blue light is shone on it. There have been studies in mice where GFPs were expressed in hair follicles successfully. In theory, one could express the GFP using a gene that expresses its product int he hair, and the hair would incorporate the GFP. In practice, gene therapy, the use of genetic material to drive gene expression in a human, is used only for serious medical ailments for which there is no other cure. There are risks of adverse effects (immune response, toxicity) that currently prevent this kind of approach from being sed for cosmetic reasons n humans.
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