Gene therapy: mechanisms, applications, and clinical outcomes

Ethics

Gene Therapy

The Dangerous Promise of Gene Therapy

Gene therapy research

Need for more effective regulation and oversight

Tragic case of Jesse Gelsinger

Problems with gene therapy

Safety of gene therapy

Review of NIH's RAC and FDA approval ineffective

Several deaths in human clinical trials

Commercial interests in gene therapy

Creates conflicts between business decisions and medical decisions

Recruitment of research subjects for gene therapy protocols

Gene therapy gives promises to people who are desperately searching for hope

Subjects often recruited in coercive ways

Germ-Line Gene Therapy

Germ-Line Gene Therapy

If available would be very helpful

Arguments for Germ-Line gene therapy

May be the only to prevent damage to people with certain genetic defects

B. Hard decisions for parents could be avoided later on C. Germ-Line intervention is more efficient than repeating somatic cell gene therapy

D. Gives researchers the freedom to explore new mode of treating or preventing disease

E. This kind of intervention best accords with a health professional's role of healing

III. Arguments against Germ-Line gene therapy

A. Unanticipated negative effects

B. Unnecessary

C. Too expensive to be a viable option

D. Limited utility in preventing disease

E. Issues of appropriate respect

F. Potential perils of concentrating great power in the hands of people

G. Possible malevolent use

H. People have a moral right to not have their genes tampered with Anytime that medical advances require human testing there are many ethical questions that come up. There will always be people who are on the side that human clinical testing is too dangerous and thus unethical. It may be true that there is an element of danger associated with this kind of testing, but it is something that is absolutely essential if modern medicine is to progress at all. There have been many developments in medicine over the years that have had to undergo human clinical testing that have been more than dangerous to those involved but were necessary for the good of everyone. If not for this testing and the trials that were involved there might be many people today who would not be alive or would be living very different lives than the ones they are living today.

Unfortunately the price for advancement is often danger. Because of this it is more important than ever to make sure that rules and regulations that surround human clinical testing are as stringent as they can possible be. In the case of Jesse Gelsinger it was found out later that there were many rules and regulations that were in place not followed to the letter of the law like they should have been. When peoples lives are at stake it is imperative that not only are their strict rules and regulations set down but that there is a process in place to make sure that those involved are following them as they are intended.

When looking at the idea of Germ-Line gene therapy and its development one can see that there are good arguments both for and against it, but in the end progressing medical treatments has been a long standing tradition and should be continued. As mentioned earlier, progression in modern medicine has been the foundation of why the human population continues to exist today. There have been had diseases and illnesses in the history of mankind that have threatened to wipe out everyone on the planet. If it were not for the development of modern drugs and treatment techniques people may not exist today.