The Ethical Implications of Gene Therapy [Opinion of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies the European Commission]

Abstract

Scientists generally agree that somatic gene therapy is one of the most promising ways of allowing to alleviate, to cure or to prevent a growing number of genetic as well as acquired diseases, including cancer and even perhaps AIDS. Somatic gene therapy has indeed recently entered the clinical setting as a highly experimental therapeutic procedure. An important and long lasting research effort is still required before routinely performed medical applications can be envisaged.