Q9

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, where the muscles waste away due to inadequate production of a protein called dystrophin. A group of researchers isolated the gene for dystrophin and inserted it into a plasmid extracted from a bacterium. A concentrated solution of these recombinant plasmids was then injected into the muscles of mice with a missense mutation in the gene for dystrophin. Which of the following is the function of the injected plasmid in treating the disorder?
A. To stimulate a humoral immune response to the bacteria in the treated mice.
B. To deliver the dystrophin protein directly to the muscles of the treated mice.
C. To act as a vector for the delivery of dystrophin genes to the muscle cells of the treated mice.
D. To create a strain of genetically engineered bacteria that will cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy.