Gene therapy might sound like something from a dystopian future, but for some it's their only hope.
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About one in 20 Australian children are born with a birth defect or genetic disease.
These range from almost undetectable gene variations that may cause cancer, to incurable and potentially fatal diseases cystic fibrosis and diabetes.
Wagga Base Hospital paediatrician John Preddy said there were many diseases with genetic components people aren't aware of.
"One of the most recognised might be cystic fibrosis ... but the thing we see more commonly now is children with a moderate or severe intellectual disability," Dr Preddy said.
![Shannon Corbett (left), Penny Lamont, Peter Corbett, Helen Robb, Annette Lamont, Alice Kennard and Brenda Petersen are donning denim and bringing the bling for the Jeans and Jewels fundraiser. Picture by Ash Smith Shannon Corbett (left), Penny Lamont, Peter Corbett, Helen Robb, Annette Lamont, Alice Kennard and Brenda Petersen are donning denim and bringing the bling for the Jeans and Jewels fundraiser. Picture by Ash Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200569959/236e050e-cc68-43eb-910c-a919711df224.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's probably more common, but less recognised.
"Now, we look at the molecular and genetic basis for cancers ... that leads the way for individualised treatments, which is really exciting.
"I think most people who have experienced a loss from an ill child or family member, they would be most grateful to all scientists working on it."
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The Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is one of the key organisations conducting research on these genomic conditions.
The CMRI is best known for its flagship event, Jeans for Genes Day, but the organisation's Wagga committee wants people to bring the bling and don the denim this weekend for their Jeans and Jewels fundraiser.
The event will be held at the Downside Hall on August 4 and feature live music, food and drink.
CRMI Wagga committee president Penny Lamont said she was expecting a good turnout, and a fun night.
Ms Lamont said although the money would not be kept in the community, it would be used for research that would benefit locals suffering from genetic diseases.
"It helps all children in the Riverina, locally, nationally and internationally with the research that's done," she said.
"We raise around $50,000 a year ... we're very pleased to be able to make a small contribution to eradicating a lot of these illnesses."
New technologies in sequencing, and recreating DNA, has been vital in advancing this field.
Dr Preddy said he was seeing treatments today he once would have thought impossible and the community support for research had been vital in creating treatments.
"The mean survival [age] of people with cystic fibrosis has gone from two in 1960 when I was born, to about 57 today," he said.
![Shannon Corbett (left), Penny Lamont, Peter Corbett, Helen Robb, Annette Lamont, Alice Kennard and Brenda Petersen are donning denim and bringing the bling for the Jeans and Jewels fundraiser. Picture by Ash Smith Shannon Corbett (left), Penny Lamont, Peter Corbett, Helen Robb, Annette Lamont, Alice Kennard and Brenda Petersen are donning denim and bringing the bling for the Jeans and Jewels fundraiser. Picture by Ash Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200569959/1141a448-e75d-49da-8038-24fd4277d4ec.jpg/r0_0_4000_5000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"That's all come about from research, the most recent of which has been identifying genetic abnormalities and how to treat them.
"We really value the support of the community. Without the community and people really pushing the frontiers, we wouldn't be moving forward."
Mrs Lamont said it was "absolutely terrifying" to think about the scale of the problem.
"If you think about the children that are in your life, there are an absolutely enormous number of children with those conditions," she said.
"If you're in a position where your child is suffering from any of these things, you would want anyone and everyone to do whatever they could to resolve the situation."
More information and tickets for Jeans and Jewels are available here.
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