what kinds of gentic operations we can do human

[steelcat]

what kinds of genetic operations we can do human at present time?
Example IGF_1 is a "bad" gene.
can we just turn it off on a human being?

[jonmoulton]

There is a difference between what is achievable and what is legal. Genetic manipulations of humans are strictly regulated, as are administration of compounds to humans for gene knockdowns.

To learn what can be done in principle, look at genetic manipulations in mice. Mice are mammals, humans are mammals, technically they are similar (though not identical) systems.

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The short answer to your question is that we cannot do genetic operations with humans due to regulations. However, there are some beginnings. The clinical trial using antisense oligos to redirect pre-mRNA splicing in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients are an example of a genetic manipulation (at the RNA level) that is currently underway with the OK of government regulators.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0 ... ino&rank=1
Safety and Efficacy Study of Antisense Oligonucleotides in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

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The latest Science has a NewsFocus on exon skipping for DMD: Hopping to a better protein. Science 5 Dec 2008, v. 322, p.1454-5

"Clinical trials are under way to test an innovative use of antisense technology to stem paralysis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy"

This article give progress updates, quotes from scientists involved in developing exon-skipping therapeutics, and describes how exon skipping works. They discuss the regulatory problems of having many different sequences needed to treat many different people each with their own unique mutation.