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Human gene therapy: scientific and ethical considerations.
Recombinant DNA Technical Bulletin
|June 1, 1985
Summary
Gene therapy offers four applications for genetic engineering in humans. Somatic cell gene therapy is the simplest and least controversial, with trials imminent, while germ line therapy requires more research and ethical debate.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Medical Ethics
- Human Genetics
Background:
- Gene therapy involves inserting genes into humans for therapeutic purposes.
- Four distinct types of gene therapy applications exist, each with unique scientific and ethical considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the scientific requirements and ethical issues of four gene therapy applications.
- To propose criteria for the ethical implementation of germ line gene therapy.
- To address the ethical implications of enhancement and eugenic genetic engineering.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of scientific feasibility for different gene therapy types.
- Ethical framework development for germ line gene therapy.
- Distinction between therapeutic, enhancement, and eugenic genetic engineering.
Main Results:
- Somatic cell gene therapy is technically simplest and ethically least controversial, with clinical trials expected soon.
- Germ line gene therapy necessitates significant scientific advancement and presents complex ethical debates.
- Enhancement genetic engineering raises troubling ethical concerns, justifiable only for preventive medicine.
- Eugenic genetic engineering, targeting complex traits, is currently infeasible.
Conclusions:
- Somatic cell gene therapy is the most immediate and ethically manageable application.
- Strict ethical guidelines and scientific progress are crucial for germ line gene therapy.
- Enhancement and eugenic genetic engineering warrant extreme caution due to profound ethical implications.