Therapeutic gene modulation

Therapeutic gene modulation refers the practice of altering the expression of a gene at one of various stages, with a view to alleviate some form of ailment. It differs from gene therapy in that gene modulation seeks to alter the expression of an endogenous gene (perhaps through the introduction of a gene encoding a novel modulatory protein) whereas gene therapy concerns the introduction of a gene whose product aids the recipient directly.

Modulation of gene expression can be mediated at the level of transcription by artificial transcription factors or at the level of translation through RNA interference.